We need another
\n'Bung' Karno<\/p>\n
From Rakyat Merdeka<\/p>\n
Indonesia's first president Sukarno, better known as Bung
\n(Brother) Karno, was excellent at uniting this nation by means
\nof, among other things, identifying a common enemy.<\/p>\n
He diverted the attention of the nation to Papua and made The
\nNetherlands the country's common enemy.<\/p>\n
Temporarily, we forgot inter-ethnic conflicts and our poverty
\nas the people were busy training as volunteers to fight for the
\nreturn of Papua to Jakarta's control.<\/p>\n
Afterwards, to divert attention from the poverty that swept
\nthe country, Bung Karno found another common enemy. This time it
\nwas Malaysia, a new federal state, the establishment of which was
\nassisted by Britain. Again, the people were busy training as
\nvolunteers to be sent to the front lines to wage war with
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
Under Bung Karno, and Soeharto, Indonesia's second president,
\nIndonesia had a strong central government. Regardless of their
\nhuman failings, the two presidents commanded respect.<\/p>\n
After Soeharto stepped down, the Indonesian people lost its
\ntrue leaders. The fall of the New Order has led to the emergence
\nof so many political leaders that the country is now thrown into
\na deeper abyss of a protracted crisis. These leaders are busy
\noffering their solutions, but none have mass appeal to the
\npeople.<\/p>\n
Bomb blasts in Bali and elsewhere, the loss of Sipadan and
\nLigitan Islands to Malaysia as a result of a bilateral dispute on
\nownership settled at the World Court and the hikes in daily
\nnecessities and utilities are just a few examples of what a
\nshambles this country is in, economically and politically.<\/p>\n
The so-called leaders, speaking in the name of the people and
\nreligion, have shown only manipulative opportunism.<\/p>\n
In short, Indonesians are longing for a true leader, one that
\nhas the courage to severely punish corruptors that are causing
\nlosses worth Rp 1,600 trillion to the country. Indonesians need a
\ngovernment that can provide jobs to the 40 million jobless people
\nacross the country and lift another 80 million people out of dire
\npoverty.<\/p>\n
Surely, if Indonesia's leaders of the past, such as Bung
\nKarno, Bung Hatta, Bung Syahril, General Sudirman, Sri Sultan
\nHamengku Buwono IX, rose from their graves, they would weep
\nbitterly to see how the country is now on the brink of
\ndisintegration with poverty spreading swiftly to every part of
\nthe country.<\/p>\n
R. BAGUS SYANI K.
\nJakarta<\/p>",
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