Are parties ready to accept defeat?

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.