How to resolve political stalemate
How to resolve political stalemate
As preparations for the final stage of the first direct
presidential election progress, the nation is witnessing a rare
and tragic political spectacle -- almost a democratic anomaly --
in which one democratic group is confronting another: A party
coalition group against the so-termed people's democracy group.
This suggests that a political stalemate could develop to the
detriment of national development, toward the end.
Titleholder Megawati Soekarnoputri, from the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and newcomer Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono, from the Democratic Party, will enter the ring on
Sept. 20. The former will claim she is on the right path to
reform but needs more time to succeed, with the latter believing
time is running out and immediate changes are urgently
called for to combat the nation's ills.
At the moment, nobody is absolutely certain who is going to
win the contest. The current theory is that if Megawati carries
the day, there will be only small ruffles, as her group commands
the majority in the legislature, or, in political terms, some
"stability". Unless, of course, there are political
demonstrations orchestrated by university students and groups of
people extremely dissatisfied with the outcome of the election.
The fact is, only two groupings of similar ideology now remain
after the first round. Many simple-minded folk may ask why the
two do not shake hands and "sail off together in one ship", thus
avoiding a costly confrontation, when both must know that a
political stalemate is looming large in the background.
This kind of stalemate may repeat itself in future direct
presidential elections run on the same system. To avoid that,
surely Indonesia could afford to have one president and two vice
presidents, as in the case of some African countries?
Even at this eleventh hour it is not too late for such a
"national reconciliation", in which we have two vice presidents
who will act as coordinating ministers -- if indeed the leaders'
priority is the well-being of the people and not their hunger for
power and personal ambition.
GANDHI SUKARDI, Jakarta