Here comes the opposition

Here comes the opposition

In this consensus-loving nation, publicly opposing another's
ideas used to be taboo. During the repressive 32-year rule of
Soeharto that ended in 1998, opposing the government's policy
could mean jail. So strong was the attachment to unanimity, it
occasionally took a bizarre turn. A case in point is that of a
certain top government official, who boasted that he could make
his secretary agree with him that it was cloudy out, even though
it was a bright and sunshiny day.

Political opposition existed only in the first decade of the
nation's history, before founding president Sukarno stymied all
opposition by introducing his self-styled "guided democracy" in
1959. For four decades afterwards, the nation had no clue as to
what a political opposition was about. When Sukarno gave way to
Soeharto, the army general ruled with an iron fist and reduced
the House into a rubber stamp body. Dissenting voices were raised
only shortly before and after Soeharto's downfall in May 1998,
when people became so enchanted by their sudden freedom that
confusion seemed to reign supreme.

The House was transformed into such a powerful body overnight
that it dealt a fatal blow to the government of Abdurrahman
Wahid, leading to the impeachment of the reform-minded president
in 2001. Opposition against the government appeared to come from
everywhere, and this persisted during the last three years of
Megawati Soekarnoputri's government: House opposition came from
the faction of the ruling party, the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI-P), and even a Cabinet minister such as State
Minister of National Development Planning Kwik Kian Gie -- also a
PDI-P executive -- who made a conscientious effort to criticize
government policies.

With such a checkered opposition record, it is encouraging to
learn that at least one political party has opted to don the
opposition cap in the House. The six-year-old Prosperous Justice
Party (PKS) decided early this week to refrain from nominating
its leader as presidential candidate, citing the small number of
votes it won in the legislative election. As of this week, the
PKS has garnered a little over seven percent of votes -- against
its 20 percent estimate. The PKS has also refused to allow its
leader to team up as running mate with another party's
presidential candidate.

Incidentally, several public figures had earlier voiced the
need for an opposition party. A group of leading political
observers with different backgrounds, led by noted Muslim scholar
Nurcholish Madjid, forged an alliance early this month to become
an opposition group -- especially in the event that the election
fails to prevent rotten politicians from taking power.

The Democratic Party's presidential candidate, Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, has also voiced the need for a strong opposition. He
reasoned that, rather than having a broad coalition in both the
Cabinet and the legislature, a limited coalition in these
institutions coupled with a strong outside opposition would be
more desirable. The retired army general, who was the top
security minister until last month, correctly lamented that
despite the existence of a multi-party coalition in the current
Cabinet, the House had not always been supportive of the
government's initiatives.

The United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK), another upstart
party, has vowed from the beginning to take up an opposition
role. Disappointed by the Megawati administration's performance,
the two-year-old party has made improving the government system
its top priority. This should come as no surprise, since the
party was founded by former top bureaucrat Ryaas Rasyid. But
unlike Susilo's Democratic Party, which has garnered 7.5 percent
of votes, the PPDK trails behind with less than one percent.

Unfortunately, any opposition party has, as a rule, been
looked down upon in this country. Often, such a move was
perceived as being ill chosen. During the last five years,
politicians have been all too happy to land top government jobs
once their parties were defeated. It would have been more
elegant, however, if they had remained in the opposition camp, no
matter how disrespectful the contemporary perception of such a
role.

The presence of an opposition party in Indonesia's government
-- and political history -- is long overdue. Its Whether within
or without the House, its existence is a must for a healthy
democracy. The question is, what kind of an opposition should we
have? Certainly, it was not a ruthless opposition that toppled
Abdurrahman Wahid. We believe in a strong opposition that
respects the rules of the game.

Of course, an opposition cannot be created through mere
rhetoric. Tireless efforts and intensive political education are
needed to counter the negative political culture surrounding the
concept of an opposition party. In this context, the PKS'
initiative is highly commendable and will hopefully mark the
beginning of a new stage in Indonesian politics.