Are parties ready to accept defeat?

Analysts believe only a few of the 48 political parties, which start campaigning this week, would win in next month's election. Most of them will have to swallow the bitter pills of defeat. Chairman of the Human Rights Subcommission for Education and Professor of Law at the University of Indonesia Charles Himawan considers this issue.

JAKARTA (JP): Democratic countries hail Indonesia's June 7 elections as the first free general election in several decades. They hold that all national elections after 1955 were "managed". However, they overlook the fact that this 1955 election prompted first president Sukarno to take unilateral action to disband the two democratically elected assemblies.

Sukarno disbanded the Constitution Council (Dewan Konstituante) for its failure to draw up a new constitution, proclaiming that the 1945 Constitution, Indonesia's first constitution, was to be applied as of July 5, 1959, and ruled Indonesia under the guise of this fundamental law for six years.

Second, he disbanded the elected parliament in 1960 for its failure to accept his budget proposal. This small piece of historical evidence shows that a democratic election in itself does not ensure that democracy will work.

Sukarno's experiment with guided democracy failed. He was officially replaced by Soeharto on March 11, 1967, who in turned was replaced by Habibie on May 21, 1998, partly on the strength of the student movement calling for political reform.

Among the many lofty programs the reform movement envisages, it calls for a democratic system in Indonesia. The thinking is that democracy will better respect human rights. The right of a person to participate in determining his government is one such right. The general election is the medium to channel this right.

However, the Indonesian constituents and the 48 political parties must realize that not all of them will win, and therefore not all of them can govern the nation.

The renowned American judge, Learned Hand (1872-1961), observed that "how illusory would be the belief that my vote determined anything; but nevertheless when I go to the polls I have the satisfaction in the sense that we are all engaged in a common venture".

In the case of a nation of 100 constituents, to be able to participate in governing the nation, a candidate must be supported by another 50 votes. If he succeeds, this means that his group obtains 51 percent and has therefore the right to govern the nation under the supervision of the remaining 49 percent. However, the election is but the beginning of democracy, the real test comes later.

Regardless of the dislike of Sukarno for the so-called 51:49 democracy, if on June 7 the reformists attain 51 percent of the vote and the status-quo supporters 49 percent, then comes the heaviest test for the nation: Because besides elections, there are three more elements which must be observed and implemented to ensure the success of the democracy process.

In our assumption above, since the reformists are the winning party, they therefore will govern the action for the coming years. However, if the outcome of the elections shows no single party majority as evidenced by the recent opinion poll (Kompas May 17, 1999) then parties will have to form a coalition.

If this becomes reality, the first thing they should remember is the bitter experiences of Indonesia between 1950-1959, when there was a new government each year. The possibility of this scenario repeating itself in the 21st century must be avoided at all costs. Otherwise, the struggle for this nation's progress, which has cost so many lives and so much agony, would be in vain. Now the three hard questions arise.

First, while the reformists are in the governing seat, will they be able to accept criticism from the opposition, that is, the status quo group?

Second, will the status quo group accept defeat and channel criticism through democratic institutions?

Third, can both sides of the camp refrain from taking vendettas against one another? If the answer is negative, then democracy is but an empty slogan.

However, if the answer is in the affirmative, then Indonesia will be able to proudly proclaim that democracy is indeed working, and all evil components that aim to destroy the democratic system have been overcome.

The success of many democratic nations is due partly to the fulfillment of those three elements, the basis of which is the desire of the people to unite for the development of the country, and not to seek power to simply amass wealth.

The winning and losing parties must constrain themselves within the internationally accepted parameters of democracy. This is in line with the thoughts of the Irish political philosopher, Edmund Burke (1729-1797), who during his lifetime fought for the establishment of political parties. Burke said: "When bad men combine, the good must associate, else they will fall, one by one."

Only the association of the good can bring us to a solid resolution in the fields of political and civil rights, as well as in social, cultural and economic rights. With this foundation, the reformists are sure to bring us all to peace and prosperity again, but under the umbrella of implemented democratic principles.