Bulls gather in Bali

Bulls gather in Bali

It was agonizingly close to the 11th hour, so to speak, that
the Mother of all Bulls (bull being the symbol of the splintered
Indonesian Democratic Party) was permitted to speak to her off-
spring in a congress in Bali recently. In contrast, the
government favored domesticated bulls of the Soerjadi species,
usually got their license presented on a silver tray, and some
vitamins to cover expenses.

The Mega bulls were repeatedly warned that if they disturbed
the island paradise's tranquility or wake up foreign tourists
during their siesta, one of their leaders would spend some nights
in jail, free of charge.

Inexplicably, nobody broke his neck and bills had been paid
for. Cabinet ministers tensely waited for a bomb to explode,
Instead, the Mega bulls emerged strengthened and with greater
self-confidence in facing the coming general election. But time
is not on their side. There is no more need for slogans and
battle cries. Enemies are lurking everywhere. The Mega bulls must
immediately announce a shadow Cabinet of some kind in coalition
if necessary with other contestants. They must announce their
action program. Remember that the stomach cannot wait, the
economy cannot wait, the foreign debts cannot wait, the sick and
the unemployed cannot wait. Only criminals of corruption,
collusion and nepotism (KKN) can wait indefinitely. Legality can
wait but democracy cannot wait.

Meanwhile, nobody found it surprising that the honor of the
presence of the head of state to open the congress fell on the
two-footed arrow bearers affiliated to the Indonesian Journalists
Association (PWI) in Semarang instead of on the two-horned bulls
in Bali.

The journalists emerged from their congress more closely
knitted to the establishment. They overlook the fact that their
greatest asset is their independent minds with strings attached
to the power bearers. Ideally, their independency should only
serve the interests of their organization. Morally they should
only be loyal to their profession; the pursuit of the naked
truth. No self-respecting journalist should still want to serve
in a legislative council if he or she is appointed by the regime
and not elected by the people. Such an act belongs to the
prereform era.

Do we witness here an all-out attempt by the once mighty G-
machinery (of course you know what I mean) to mobilize its
remaining forces, including journalists who only halfheartedly
supported the reformist movement and have succumbed to the
beckoning of power and wealth? Perhaps only a senior journalist
like Rosihan Anwar, known for his sharp nose and sharp tongue
could give an answer.

Once a Dutch anthropologist called the people of Indonesia the
most tolerant on Earth (Het zachste volk der aarde). Today we may
top the list of being one of the most intolerant democracies on
this planet. In my inexperience, I had hoped that the new
functional group (Golkar) would change in spirit, repent for its
mistakes and feel guilty for the nation's miseries, as the
student reformist movement also expected to nimbly and nobly act
as facilitator for other parties to achieve the maximum instead
of justifying all means to stage a comeback. Personally, I doubt
if Heaven will allow Golkar to take part in the next elections.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta