An insult to politicians

It is difficult to tell from the strident and abrasive tone of Hilde May's letter of May 19 whether the writer is for or against Megawati. Perhaps in Germany, Hilde finds it necessary to verbally abuse and insult politicians in order to get the necessary results, but in Indonesia, strong-arm measures are not only considered uncivilized, they are also totally ineffective.

Megawati has already given her reasons for not engaging in televised debates, though perhaps her thoughts are too profound for those who think that Indonesia's problems can be resolved by a bunch of men mountaineering on the mole-hills of their experiences in the televised mockeries of western electioneering practices. So far, these presidential hopefuls have only demonstrated the size of their egos and, unlike Megawati, appear to have no conception of the vastness of Indonesia's difficulties.

LEONARD JONES

Jakarta