In favor of dialog

In favor of dialog

There is ample reason to fear that street demonstrations will
once again break out in the coming days. Police are reported to
have already registered a long list of groups planning to stage
such actions beginning next week.

We entirely understand why such demonstrations will return. It
cannot be denied that many points on our political agenda still
need to be attended to. Those street demonstrations, therefore,
must be seen as airings of moral support for our joint efforts to
establish a new, healthier and more dignified social order.

Even so, we all need to step up our wariness. The advent of
the general election brings with it an increase in the political
pressures that will be affecting our daily lives -- among them in
the form of street demonstrations -- all of which are certain to
have a negative impact on our economy, with all its implications.

It is unfortunate that to this very moment no serious efforts
have apparently been made to bring together all the forces that
exist in society, including the students, to prevent the rifts
from widening. The idea of holding a national dialog that several
parties have offered is truly an excellent one. (But) whether one
likes it or not, it is the government that is in the best
position to take the lead in this respect. All President Habibie
would have to do is to appoint an institution that is generally
regarded as impartial, such as the National Defense and
Resilience Institute to implement the idea.

For the sake of our common interest, we therefore appeal to
President Habibie and the political elite in general to open
themselves a bit more to the suggestion. We also appeal to our
student activists to put the emphasis of their actions on dialog
rather than street actions.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta