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.