Do we have the right to cut the President's hair?

JAKARTA (JP): A story in the Bible has it that Samson, who lived around 1,000 B.C., was an extraordinarily strong man until he met Delilah, the beautiful woman who looked like an angel, but turned out to be a devil in disguise. As it goes, Delilah was assigned by Samson's enemies to steal his strength so they could tame him. And Delilah, after discovering Samson's locks were the source of his magical strength, did just that, leaving the world's strongest man in a weakened condition.

The same is true in business, where having a haircut is a frightening proposition, particularly when considering the huge debt we currently have. To have a haircut means having part of the debt written off. Indonesian economic experts have been urging the government to ask for this kind of haircut at the meeting of the Paris Club.

As of now, there has still been no decision on this proposition. The trouble is that if we want the haircut we have to pay the barber, and in this case payment involves declaring this nation one of the world's poorest (which is actually true, but we are too shy to admit it). And just like Samson after his haircut, Indonesia will have less bargaining power in international events as a result of its trim. Who is going to respect an extremely poor nation?

"By the way, where do you think Mr. Habibie has his haircut," asked Dino, my oldest son, calling all the way from Bali.

I always pause a few seconds before answering his questions, trying to figure out where he is leading the conversation. I have to be careful with this guy, because he gives me a hard time every time he opens his mouth.

"He gives it to himself," I answered. I know this is the kind of answer Dino was expecting. He has been analyzing the country's current political situation and has come to the conclusion that the top-level political battle will eventually reverse the political field, once believed to be leading toward Habibie's victory in the November presidential election.

It is no longer a secret that the leaders of Golkar (once the largest political "party" with more than 74 percent of the vote) are pitted in two opposing groups; one in favor and the other against Habibie's presidential candidacy.

Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung and his group are pressuring the government -- and Habibie as well -- to uncover Baligate, as we like to call the Bank Bali scandal, said to involve Habibie's success team, charged with ensuring Habibie's success in the presidential election. Although he claims he is still supporting Habibie, Akbar's group is rumored to have launched a Delilah operation to strip Habibie of his supporters. Revelations of a love affair involving one of Habibie's aides in a tabloid controlled by Akbar's men have generated speculation about Akbar paving his own road to the top (or second-to-top) job. This speculation grew in voice when Akbar met with Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and one of the top contenders for the presidency.

In the other corner is Akbar's rival A.A. Baramuli and his group, who are said to be trying to round up support for the dismissal of Akbar from the Golkar chairmanship. The rivalry is now being played out in public, and the press loves every minute of it.

Habibie, however, did not have to face the betrayal of his own men, if he had only been able to sense the danger at an early stage. Like Samson who was blinded by love and passion, Habibie has been so happy with his newly acquired powers that he forgot to maintain his alertness, letting his aides go wild in their ventures.

Sensitivity is another thing that Habibie's administration lacks. The President seems to be oblivious to the aspirations of the people. Amid protests, he insists on awarding a handsome severance pay to the members of the House of Representatives, who have done very little in their shortened term of service.

The most recent Habibie-created controversy was the awarding of the Bintang Jasa (honorary star) on behalf of the government to those he thought had made special contributions to the nation. Surprisingly, or not so, most of the honorees were members of Habibie's inner circle. And, oh, just for your information, only a few months after he became President, Habibie bestowed on his wife a similar award of appreciation.

The President, of course, is in the position to do this. But look at who is receiving these awards! Some of them deserve punishment instead of honor. This fact has generated cynicism among those who know the backgrounds of the award winners. How could the supposedly prestigious awards be distributed like the nine basic needs? One hundred and seven honorary stars given away just like that!

On the other hand, some of those who certainly deserve the honor have been nearly forgotten. Take, for example, Mrs. Fatmawati (the wife of Indonesian's first president) and Mrs. Rahmi Hatta (the wife of the first Indonesian vice president). To decide these two women deserved the honor took the nation 54 years, that is until they were no longer around.

"What a shame," shouted Edo, my other son, pointing to the picture of Mr. Wrong, an old celebrity who proudly displayed his award, apparently believing he was a Very Very Important Person to whom this nation owed a great deal. "That guy has not even lifted a finger in performing his work. All he does is monkey around with some other monkey's monkey, earning the country nothing but an endless chain of problems."

That's what I mean when I say the President has cut his own hair. He is looking after people who will only cause him political harm, the way Delilah did Samson no good. His people have created too many controversies, which will eventually drag Habibie down to a position where he does not have the power to fight for his goals. If he allows this to continue, I wouldn't bet my bottom dollar on him being the next president.

"Well, what the heck! If he ruins his chances, then so be it. It's his business," you may say. But, no! In his position as the leader of the country, what he and his aides do will determine the fate of this nation, so it is our business. Should he jeopardize us, we deserve the right to cut his hair; that is, to drag him down and hold him responsible.

-- Carl Chairul