Establishing a national leadership

Establishing a national leadership

By Sayidiman Suryohadiprojo

JAKARTA (JP): Many people do not accept the legitimacy of
President B.J. Habibie and want the People's Consultative
Assembly (MPR), as the highest legislative body in the Indonesian
political system, to convene a special session to terminate
Habibie's presidency.

It would not be difficult for the MPR, once in session, to end
the Habibie administration. However, the MPR should also elect a
new president and vice president of Indonesia. That will create
very delicate problems.

The existing MPR is a product of the general election in 1997,
the result of which was an overwhelming victory for Golkar, plus
representatives appointed by the President.

Not only the other political parties, but also many well-
thinking people, have accused the government of being very
supportive to the Golkar victory. Many people believe that the
present MPR is far from representing the aspirations of the
people.

If this MPR should elect a new president and vice president,
only political leaders close to Golkar can expect adequate
support for their bid to the presidency.

Leaders without support from Golkar, like Amien Rais and
Megawati Soekarnoputri, will have no chance at all to get
support. Perhaps one or two members of Golkar and the Moslem-
dominated United Development Party are sympathetic to Amien Rais
because they admire his struggle for reform.

But that would never become an organizational effort because
the Golkar leadership will certainly back their own candidates to
become president. Even if Golkar members in the MPR are replaced
because of nepotism, the replacements will also come from Golkar
and will join the Golkar fraction. Under such circumstances,
there is no change of national leadership in accordance with the
people's aspirations.

There are people who want the MPR to establish a presidium
after having terminated the Habibie presidency. These people
consider that no single person is strong and capable enough to
lead Indonesia in the present time of turbulence.

Such a presidium should consist of intellectuals and religious
leaders and other persons of prominence. This is certainly a very
idealistic concept and proposal but somewhat naive due to the
political standpoint. Because these MPR members, who are assured
of the victory of their candidate through voting, will never
sacrifice their dominating position just for an idealistic
proposal. It is quite easy for them to convince the people that a
presidium consisting of several people, each with his/her own
interest, cannot be effective in leading the nation to overcome
its economic problems. But, again, a president elected by this
MPR is not in accordance with the objectives of the demanded
political reform.

Indonesia can have a new leader in accordance with the
people's aspirations only if that leader is elected by an MPR
whose members are recruited through a general election allowing
the people to directly elect their own representatives.
Therefore, new laws on general elections, on political parties
and on the positions of the MPR, the House of Representatives
(DPR) and provincial legislative councils (DPRD) must first be
made.

After the new laws are introduced, a general election must be
conducted. Such a general election will make it possible for the
country to recruit MPR and DPR members in accordance with the
people's aspirations. Democracy will then become a reality and
that will be an important part of the political reform. Only with
this MPR can the people elect national leaders in accordance with
their aspirations.

Of course, Habibie and other Golkar candidates will have a
chance to run in the leadership election. But figures like Amien
Rais and Megawati will have similar opportunities.

Neither a special session nor a general session of the present
MPR will provide a political base for people like Amien Rais and
Megawati to join in a leadership election.

The Habibie administration should, therefore, be pressured to
finish the legalization of the laws on general elections, on
political parties and on the position of the MPR, DPR and DPRD as
soon as possible.

A general election should be conducted six months from now, or
one year at the latest. Habibie should realize that for his own
sake and political future, he must create and develop democracy
in political conditions.

Intellectuals and other figures who are not too close to
common people should become aware that citizens want economic
improvement at any costs. Citizens, for example, would rather
turn to support the Habibie cabinet if it succeeds in improving
the economy while intellectuals create difficulties with their
political maneuvers.

Although the legitimacy of the Habibie administration,
according to many parties, is very weak, it has a role to play.
Let us hope that it will play that role properly.

The writer is former Governor of the National Resilience
Institute and now Ambassador-at-Large for the Non-Aligned
Movement.