'Democracy' vs democracy

There was never any question that Megawati Soekarnoputri would be reelected chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) this weekend. Before PDI Perjuangan held its congress in Semarang last week, Megawati commanded such immense support from the party's rank-and-file. But while her election was only a formality, somehow it has left a bitter aftertaste, and also some disturbing thoughts.

The process by which Megawati was elected has raised serious questions about PDI Perjuangan's commitment to democracy. Her election by acclamation, rather than ballot, immediately reminded us of past political practices which did not tolerate dissent. When Megawati was reelected on Saturday, it gave the nation a creepy political deja vu. This was also the method that saw the election, time and again, of Soeharto as Indonesia's president. Soeharto was the lone candidate in all seven times he was elected between 1968 and 1998. It was a system that allowed no other candidate.

Election by acclamation was the system widely used by political organizations and institutions of the time. Elections were mere formality. Political parties and organizations that were run in an authoritarian manner went through this charade to fool and deceive that they practiced democracy. They fooled no one but themselves. Theirs was "Democracy" with a capital "D", democratic in formality, but hardly in substance.

It is sad, therefore, to find that election by acclamation is still practiced today by one of the political parties that supposedly leads the reform movement. Why die-hard supporters of Megawati resorted to intimidation to prevent Eros Djarot and Dimyati Hartono from running against her was mindboggling. It is also incomprehensible why the congress ignored demands for a vote, given that there was no way she would have lost. What purpose did bulldozing the election serve? It simply defies logic because the party's democratic credentials have now been destroyed by itself.

Megawati's election also betrayed promises made by some party leaders beforehand that the congress was an opportunity for PDI Perjuangan to turn itself into a modern party. As the largest political party emerging from the reformation movement, the nation has naturally placed a lot of expectations on it.

Given its size, PDI Perjuangan should play the catalyst in transforming the traditional and feudalistic political cultures in our society into one that is modern and democratic. The fact that some party leaders had talked about modernizing PDI Perjuangan showed some awareness at the top. But somehow, this attitude was not reflected in the congress, and PDI Perjuangan remains essentially a traditional party with some feudalistic traits. While this could be a reflection of our society more than of the party, it now looks like the concept of a modern party will be sent back to the drawing board.

Given that PDI Perjuangan is the nation's largest party, and Megawati is a leading contender for the 2004 presidential election, how the party manages its affairs must therefore have strong consequences for the nation. Consequently, the methods of the congress have created disturbing thoughts about the prospect of PDI Perjuangan gaining control of the government, a strong possibility after 2004.

If the congress is a true reflection of the party's ways and means, then a return to an authoritarian system could be in Indonesia's future.