Why change of presidents has never been smooth<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Presidential succession in the country has never
\nbeen smooth as past presidents failed to address the aspirations
\nof their people, observers say.<\/p>\n
Political observer Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia
\nsaid former Indonesian presidents tended to become oligarchic in
\nruling the country and pushed aside people's interests.<\/p>\n
"The country's former presidents have only been good at the
\nbeginning of their tenure. The longer they held power, the worse
\ntheir handling of state institutions became in order to protect
\ntheir interests," Arbi told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Their oligarchic control was evident in certain acts, such as
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), according to Arbi, who
\nused to support former president Abdurrahman Wahid.<\/p>\n
Separately, Mochtar Pabottingi of the National Institute of
\nSciences (LIPI) said that if past presidents had worked in a
\nrespectable manner by avoiding corruption and autocratic rule,
\nthey might have seen out their terms gracefully.<\/p>\n
Like Abdurrahman, his predecessors Sukarno, Soeharto and B.J.
\nHabibie were forced to step down in disgrace before they finished
\ntheir tenures.<\/p>\n
Sukarno, the first Indonesian president and father of the
\nincumbent President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, was forced to resign
\nafter a bloody abortive coup blamed on the Indonesian Communist
\nParty on Sept. 30, 1965. He was then replaced by Soeharto, a
\nmilitary man, who was in power for 32 years.<\/p>\n
Soeharto was forced to step down in 1998 following the
\nTrisakti incident in which four students were killed and which
\ntriggered three days of nationwide riots.<\/p>\n
Habibie assumed power after Soeharto -- whom he called his
\npolitical teacher -- at a time when Indonesia was experiencing its
\nworst economic crisis. His controversial tenure came to an end
\nafter only 521 days when the People's Consultative Assembly
\nrejected his accountability report.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman was the first president to be elected
\ndemocratically. He, however, was removed by the Assembly after
\nonly 21 months in the post.<\/p>\n
Arbi, however, blamed the country's Constitution for the
\ncountry's bleak history, saying the Constitution does not set
\nregulations to settle problems when the executive and legislative
\nbranches are in dispute.<\/p>\n
He said that amending the Constitution was a must so that it
\ncould prevent the People's Consultative Assembly, which should
\nencourage a president to improve his\/her performance, from
\ntoppling the president.<\/p>\n
Arbi also said the country was facing a leadership crisis
\nresulting from the fact that every succession must be supported
\nby the military.<\/p>\n
"Politicians keep inviting the military to intervene in the
\npolitical arena. It, of course, will affect a civilian government
\nin ruling the country, as it must compromise in many things to
\nsuit the military," Arbi said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Pabottingi said that the downfall of all former
\npresidents began when they violated the Constitution, which
\nspawned a people's movement to topple them.<\/p>\n
"As an example, our first president Sukarno made his mistake
\nwhen he declared himself president for life. Of course it was
\nagainst the Constitution."<\/p>\n
As for Abdurrahman, Pabottingi said it was the allegation of
\ncorruption that brought him down.<\/p>\n
"Misdemeanors by our presidents only show that Indonesian
\npolitics still promotes an authoritarian platform and has yet to
\nfind a democratic platform which sides with the people," he said.<\/p>\n
Mochtar also said that behind political competition, there was
\nthe military, which played a pivotal role in the replacement of
\nall Indonesian presidents. (tso)<\/p>",
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