Action needed

The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands. Perhaps these words, spoken by the late American president Lyndon B. Johnson just about a year before his death in 1973, reflected his feelings as he reminisced on his experience as America's 36th president following the assassination in 1963 of John F. Kennedy.

History notes that Johnson turned out to have done quite well, even though he started his job in the shadow of Kennedy, who many people, in America and across the world, still regard as one of the most charismatic and successful American presidents in that country's recent history.

Present circumstances in Indonesia, of course, are completely different from those that prevailed around the time that those dramatic events took place in the United States. Still, Lyndon Johnson's words remain valid in this country, as well as in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

The reason we are going to such lengths to remember events that took place more than a quarter of a century ago halfway across the globe, is that Indonesia too is in the process of beginning a new era under the leadership of a new president whose commitment to democracy is beyond doubt: Abdurrahman Wahid.

By practically every measure, Abdurrahman can be said to meet most every accepted standard of moral and intellectual greatness. He is one of the most widely respected religious leaders in this country. In the six months he has been in power, he has done more than any previous president to build Indonesia into a true and modern democracy. His intellectual capabilities are impressive.

This is why practically every Indonesian was willing to accept his election as president in October last year, despite some small disappointment among some parties over the defeat of their preferred candidates. Ironically, though, this is also the reason why at present many Indonesians are deeply disappointed with the turn developments seem to be taking under Abdurrahman's doubtlessly well-meaning, but often erratic leadership.

A popular, populist figure whose casual behavior and fondness for jokes are legendary, Abdurrahman has brought that same style of conduct with him to the office of the presidency -- often to the annoyance of legislators and others. In the first months of his presidency, he upset many members of the House of Representatives by likening the legislature to a kindergarten, though his irreverent answers to questions often elicit gales of laughter from legislators and the public.

A more serious aspect of this attitude, however, is Abdurrahman's penchant for lightly making seemingly overhasty allegations which, if necessary, he often later withdraws with a lighthearted comment. As far as issues of little political or economic impact are concerned, this is often received by the public as one of the entertaining sides of the President's character.

In the past few days, however, this habit took a rather serious turn when he fired two of his most important economic ministers, citing corruption, collusion and nepotism. Unavoidably, Abdurrahman's allegations, which he made in the House of Representatives, drew rejoinders from the accused ministers. Thus, aside from the political friction and economic repercussions resulting from Abdurrahman's firing of the two ministers, the affair is threatening to lay bare whatever seeds of corruption and nepotism there may be in Abdurrahman's own administration.

Most unfortunately, unless the right steps are taken, at this point it looks as if this could affect the prestige and credibility of the President himself -- which in the worst case could destroy the public's trust in the government's commitment to good governance. For this reason it is imperative for the country's judicial system, the Attorney General's Office in particular, as well as the legislature, not to delay in taking the necessary steps to open an investigation into the allegations.

So far, fortunately, there has been no sign of undue outbreaks of public emotion over the matter. But it might take just a few demonstrations and counterdemonstrations by supporters of all sides involved in the controversy to start off a chain reaction that could return Indonesia back to the type of authoritarian rule that gripped the country for decades.