Going the extra mile

The election of Abdurrahman Wahid as president by the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) was democratic, free and fair, transparent and, most importantly, constitutional, but it did little justice to the losing contestant, Megawati Soekarnoputri.

She and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) have worked hard, perhaps more so than others, in enduring the tyranny of president Soeharto and finally effecting his fall. The party played a central role in depriving B.J. Habibie, a legacy of the status quo regime, his ambition of clinging onto the presidency. It was the party's big block vote which weighed heavily on the MPR's decision to reject his report of accountability, thereby forcing him to withdraw from the presidential nomination. PDI Perjuangan also won the polls in June, the first truly democratic elections Indonesia has held in four decades, to end the three-decade rule of Golkar.

To most people, particularly her supporters, the presidency was hers for the taking as a reward for all the hard work. Yet, despite it all, she lost the election on Wednesday to Abdurrahman. It was a cruel end to a long process in which she had not only worked hard, but also suffered abuses perpetrated by the old regime. The defeat defied the universal rule that hard work must be rewarded accordingly.

Among all the reform leaders who have contributed to transforming Indonesia's political landscape for the better, she appeared to end up with the least rewards. Amien Rais became the MPR speaker and Abdurrahman the presidency. Even Akbar Tandjung, chairman of the new "reformed" Golkar, was divvied the speakership of the House of Representatives. The vice presidency was more a consolation price for Megawati.

The tears shed by Megawati and her close aides after learning of her defeat were understandable. Violent outbursts in Jakarta and other towns on Wednesday, and in PDI Perjuangan's stronghold of Bali on Thursday, cannot be condoned, but they reflect the frustrations and anger of the party's supporters.

Politics can be cruel indeed. An election system may be democratic and constitutional, free and fair, but its outcome is not always necessarily equitable. So what went wrong?

Politics is not only about hard work. It is also about strategy, and about taking initiatives and seizing opportunities required in the situation. This is where PDI Perjuangan, despite all the brains and talent it commands, came up short.

Winning the general election in June was not sufficient for PDI Perjuangan, especially since it only polled 35 percent of the vote. It may hold a legitimate claim to have the first chance at forming the government, but that is not the way the system works here. As the winner, PDI Perjuangan should have seized the initiative in forging alliances with like-minded smaller reformist parties. Most people had expected a grand alliance, or a coalition, of PDI Perjuangan, Amien's National Mandate Party (PAN) and Abdurrahman's National Awakening Party (PKB).

When this idea was not forthcoming, Amien Rais maneuvered to form his "axis force", forging an alliance between PAN and a number of Islamic parties. Amien then secured the coalition's support to nominate Abdurrahman, someone with popular acceptance, as its presidential candidate. The alliance could have picked another similarly popular figure -- Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid or Sultan Hamengkubuwono X come immediately to mind -- and either of them could probably have been elected, too. Amien Rais, and not Indonesian Military chief Gen. Wiranto or Abdurrahman, turned out to be the kingmaker. And Abdurrahman is the king.

Most people at the time of the coalition's founding dismissed its significance since it represented a peripheral force in a Assembly dominated by PDI Perjuangan and Golkar. Even Abdurrahman's candidacy was taken lightly, with Megawati and Golkar's Habibie strides ahead in the race.

In retrospect, it was a consummate example of political maneuvering, an almost sure-fire game plan for victory. One of the two top contenders was bound to drop out if only to deprive the other victory. Thus, when Habibie withdrew his nomination at the eleventh hour, Abdurrahman stood to secure the Golkar block vote. He did, and won the election.

There is no sense in mourning the loss now that the election process is over. PDI Perjuangan's defeat serves as a valuable lesson, not only for the party, but also for the nation which is still learning the fine art of politics in a democracy. In politics, nothing can be taken for granted. Hard work is important, but a smart strategy is equally crucial. And politicians, regardless of their standing in the community or public popularity, must always be prepared to buckle down and go the extra mile.