Facing a lion in its den

For a change, I would like to tell something about a retired admiral. He is on the campaign trail now. "If his party gets 40 percent of the vote, he may become somebody," people say.

But the important thing to know is not the position he may get later, but whether he is the right person in the right place. Many people enjoy nice facilities even though they are not the right men in the right place. They could not care less. A few days ago this man appeared on an interview with CNBC, and the presenter called him, rightly or wrongly, "the second man".

I remember when 10 years ago he campaigned before the students of the Bandung Institute of Technology; at the time, he advocated the merger of various state banks in order to achieve efficiency, a fact today. He also dared to express disapproval of the great number of appointed members of the Armed Forces in the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly. He proposed to limit the term of office of a president to two terms only. I greatly appreciate his courage to express something that was unthinkable when Soeharto was still at the peak of his dictatorship.

Furthermore, I would like to congratulate President B.J. Habibie on the occasion of his one year in office and on his iron nerve to celebrate the event with an official thanksgiving dinner while the nation is still in turmoil (and many have lost hope, too) while the final results of the general election are still unknown.

One may say now that Habibie has become a smart and resolute politician who can set his mind firmly on his objectives in stormy weather. I doubt whether the statement would be unchallenged. I am curious at the same time what his trump card, or "triumph" cards, are in facing the challenges of such widespread political alliances and growing anti-Golkar sentiment.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta