Crossing the bridge to democracy

Crossing the bridge to democracy

The threat that the planned general election will not be held (on June 7) seems to send the signal that both our bureaucrats and our reformists have lost interest in the fate of this country. It is true that, as intellectual Nurcholish Madjid has said, the general elections won't be able to solve all our problems immediately. Nevertheless, it provides a starting point for us to work toward softening the crash, since the numerous adversities we are facing have their origins in a legitimate crisis.

It may be true that there are many doors leading out of the gloom, but the first available one seems to be the general election. For this reason, those of us who want to see change must try to convince others of the vital importance of holding the elections. A failure to do so would only benefit those who want to see the status quo preserved.

The nation must use what little time is left to try to safely cross that bridge to democracy called the general election. The possibility that those given power will continue to disregard the mandate of the constitution even after the elections are over is something that must be dealt with in earnest later. Only by taking this steadfast attitude can we make would-be destroyers think twice before enacting their intentions.

Before we come to all that, though, once again, let's go through the elections first. We must be patient -- as patient as the farmer in the field who waits for his seeds to grow into trees and bear fruit.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta