Ambiguous system
Ambiguous system
After the whirlwind of reform, which grew into an national
tornado that toppled Soeharto as head of state and replaced the
government with a reform administration, one would expect that
fresh air would be blowing in all directions.
However, as I walk around, I still have to breath in a rather
fishy smell of ambiguity. Yogyakarta's Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono
X worries that there is only a half-hearted parting with the
Soeharto era and we continue to live in a "pseudo Soeharto era".
Perhaps, like myself, the sultan is tormented by the selection
of a minister with a murky political past or with the sight of so
many loyalists of the former system in the Cabinet. It is hard to
convince people that members of the new Cabinet are truly and
honestly imbued with the spirit of reform.
For instance, why should certain Golkar leading figures, who
in the past vehemently defended the old system and leadership, so
easily jump onto the reform bandwagon, instead of dissolving
their own ranks and files who have been politically abandoned by
the people.
The reform movement is essentially a (moral) political
movement and should be addressed first. The present government
carries constitutional legitimacy but it still misses political
legitimacy to carry on governing with the blessing of
international interests (funding) upon which the economy in the
long run will be highly dependent.
If we could do without the IMF, we would be better off in
terms of total national debt servicing. But who will pay the
current government and private debts incurred under the Soeharto
era? People need guarantees while the world has lost confidence
in the way we manage our resources. It is not easy to escape from
these doldrums.
The air is still full of ambiguous statements made by people
who officially profess to support the reform movement but cling
to old deep-rooted traditions and conspiracies.
There will, of course, be a general election, and democracy
will be more practiced and guaranteed, such as free press, free
speech and greater freedom to set up political parties. My fear
is that the rich and the strong will remain untouched, except for
a change in skin color and political masks.
It is imperative that future leaders and their families,
especially those of the president and vice president, avoid
luxury and live and think humbly and modestly according to the
spirit of Pancasila, the inception of which was commemorated on
June 1. Keep in mind that it is more honorable and worthy to live
as a poor leader than as a rich but misleader of a nation.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta