A new dawn ahead?
With voting day in Indonesia's first direct presidential elections just three days behind us and 13 more days to go before the final results are made public, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who by all counts is certain to win the race, is closeting himself inside his home, quietly consulting with politicians and drafting a Cabinet whose makeup he is expected to disclose immediately after his installation by the national legislature on Oct. 5. That is not only the sensible thing to do, but imperative under the circumstances.
Nobody has any illusions about the formidable task that lies ahead of the man who is shortly to become country's sixth president -- certainly not the man himself. Despite the fact that progress has been made under the leadership of President Megawati Soekarnoputri since she took over the reigns of the administration in 2001, economic growth has been limited to less than 5 percent annually, 40 million Indonesians remain unemployed and 16.7 percent of the people live below the poverty line.
Poverty can be seen everywhere one goes, corruption and injustice continue to pervade almost every walk of life and disillusionment with the reform movement that inspired so much hope among the people at the time of the collapse of President Soeharto's New Order regime in 1998 is a palpable reality all across the country. Obviously, there is no time to be lost if the incoming administration of Susilo is to avoid making the same mistakes his predecessor made.
Like it or not, that is the country Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stands to inherit when he takes over the reins of the administration in 13 days.
In Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is more popularly known by his initials SBY, Indonesians appear, for the moment, to be fortunate indeed to have finally found a leader who inspires the hope in people, and that he is well-equipped to take on the challenges that lie ahead. That such an assessment of Susilo is widely shared is reflected not only in his phenomenal election victory, but also in the favorable way in which the markets have reacted. The statements that he made during his campaign debates and interviews seem to reveal a broad-minded rationality and an all-inclusive predilection that fit the needs of this troubled nation. His good understanding of economic issues will serve the nation equally well, despite his well-known cautious approach to settling social and political issues. Of course, whether or not SBY will be able to honor the trust that the people have accorded him is a question that only time can answer.
Time also will reveal the leeway that Susilo has in steering his ship of governance through the sometimes treacherous waters of Indonesian politics. He will, after all, have to honor the debts he has contracted from his various supporters, not all of whom may be seeing eye-to-eye with him on many issues. It is one thing to know where to take the ship of state in the interest of everyone on board. However, it is an entirely different matter to be able to do so without rocking the boat too much.
All this is to say that Indonesians would do well to realize that the election victory of Susilo in Indonesia's first direct presidential election on Monday, beneficial as it could prove to be for the nation, does not just mark the closure of a rather disappointing period in their country's history. On the contrary. it marks the beginning of a new period in their country's history, led by a former Army general who is admittedly known for his democratic ideas, but nevertheless one who rose through the ranks of the military under the dictatorial regime of Soeharto's New Order.
Ergo, it is important that Indonesians keep in mind that the only genuine guarantee for a better and more democratic future, one in which justice and prosperity for all prevail, lies in our continued efforts to build a strong and healthy civil society to keep the proper checks and balances in operation. It would, of course, be greatly to his honor and credit if the incoming president, Susilo, could contribute to the success of this grand and noble effort.
In conclusion, it remains for us to remark on the huge contribution that the outgoing president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, has made towards the building of a democratic society in Indonesia. The results of Monday's presidential election, and the peaceful and orderly manner in which it was conducted, would not have been possible without the groundwork that she laid and for which she will always be remembered. It is no exaggeration to say that all these developments of the past few days do indeed raise the hope that a better future does indeed lie ahead of the Indonesian nation, provided that we never stop working toward that goal.