What sort of coalition?<\/p>\n
Although no more than 30 percent of the vote from last week's
\ngeneral election has been tabulated, the flow of new results is
\nunlikely to change the charted map of Indonesian political power.<\/p>\n
The list of the big five is almost assured of remaining the
\nsame, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) on top.<\/p>\n
However, the tabulation of the rest of the vote from outside
\nJava, where Golkar still enjoys considerable popularity, could
\nlead former president Soeharto's longtime political mainstay to
\nbump the National Awakening Party (PKB) from second place. The
\nlatter, which was established by the Muslim organization
\nNahdlatul Ulama, may have to be satisfied with the gains from its
\ntraditional base of support in East and Central Java.<\/p>\n
With the present picture seemingly unlikely to change, the
\nfocus is turning to the November session of the People's
\nConsultative Assembly, which will be followed by the formation of
\na new government. However, no single party will be strong enough
\nin the polls to run the country on its own, which is why leading
\npolitical parties have started talking seriously about forming
\ncoalitions to lead the country.<\/p>\n
All the parties have declared that their main agenda will be
\npolitical reform, and every one of them also declared itself a
\ndyed-in-the-wool reformist. With these apparent common goals, it
\nshould follow that there should be no problems in choosing
\ncoalition partners.<\/p>\n
Of course, it is not that cut-and-dried. Forging the desired
\nstable government will take more than grandly spouted slogans if
\npoliticians are unwilling to sleep with decidedly strange
\nbedfellows.<\/p>\n
PDI Perjuangan, for one, is far from being a true reformist
\nbecause it promises to oppose every effort to amend the 1945
\nConstitution even though analysts point to gaping flaws in the
\nhurriedly drafted document, used and abused by two dictators to
\nkeep themselves in power. The party also is against any effort to
\ntake legal action against Soeharto for corruption.<\/p>\n
And most people find it hard to accept Golkar and the United
\nDevelopment Party in their role as self-professed reformists,
\nwith their staunch support of Soeharto's reelection last year
\nstill stingingly fresh in their minds.<\/p>\n
Outside the political groupings, most thinking Indonesians
\nagree that the real reformists are those who stood up and were
\ncounted at the height of Soeharto's iron-fist rule. The
\ncourageous few include the Group of 50 opposition activists, non-
\ngovernmental organization Pijar and Amien Rais, who later set up
\nthe National Mandate Party (PAN). PDI Perjuangan leader Megawati
\nSoekarnoputri did fight the authoritarian regime but only after
\nit engineered her ouster from her party's leadership, a job she
\nlanded thanks to the help of the military.<\/p>\n
That is the past. Today, in facing Indonesia's immediate
\nfuture and its attendant complexities, differences should be set
\naside. Loyalty to personal and party interests should end now
\nthat loyalty to the country has begun.<\/p>\n
One political observer believes an effective coalition could
\nbe forged between PDI Perjuangan, PKB and PAN. Each would bring
\ncomplementary components -- the secular PDI Perjuangan with its
\nhuge grassroots support would be balanced by the intellectual-
\nladen PAN and the religious qualities of PKB. It sounds logical
\nand, with good will and intent, it might pan out into a
\nsuccessful reality. After all, where there is a will, there is a
\nway, even in the murky world of politics.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/what-sort-of-coalition-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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