It's the right time to balk at splitting the child

It's the right time to balk at splitting the child

By Donna K. Woodward

MEDAN (JP): The Golkar Party's presidential candidate B.J.
Habibie suffers from presidential paralysis, unable to execute
the reform mandate the people gave him.

For the sake of vote-getting, PDI Perjuangan's Megawati
Soekarnoputri has allied herself with the man who stood by
passively while his subordinates terrorized and murdered the
people that he and they -- and she too, if she becomes president
-- are sworn to protect.

Abdurrahman Wahid of the National Awakening Party (PKB) has
changed his spots so often that he may soon be eligible for
protection as an endangered species rather than for the
presidency. Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) was
unable to capture the people's confidence, and thus has failed
the threshold test for a national political leader. PPP's Hamzah
Haz is a pro-forma candidate.

Is this a stalemate for reformasi, the end of hope? Must the
country sacrifice the considerable progress toward reform it has
made since May 1998 by reverting to a business-as-usual
government? If this happens, Indonesia may remain in a
transitional, unstable mode for years longer. Could Indonesia
survive this? Are there options?

In a matter of weeks the 700 delegates of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR) will cast their votes for a
presidential candidate from one of the five eligible parties.
None of the candidates commands enough votes from his or her
party alone to be elected. Among themselves the party leaders
have yet to form a coalition that would garner the needed votes
without betraying their constituencies. Among the party leaders
there must be a compromise of self-interest for the greater
national good.

Someone must step aside in favor of another. Like the mothers
brought before King Solomon, someone must sacrifice possession of
what is most treasured, and refuse to have the child split in
two. Who will yield to whom? It seems most unlikely that the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) would
yield, given their voting strength and their oft-repeated but
mistaken notion that their winning of a plurality of votes in the
general election automatically guarantees them the presidency.
But other parties might. A suggestion follows.

There is nothing in the election rules to prohibit the parties
from offering presidential candidates to the MPR who are
different from those originally proposed, though such a move
might disappoint voters who backed a particular party on the
basis of their presumptive presidential candidate. So far, Golkar
is the only party considering such a move.

In place of Mr. Habibie or Akbar Tandjung, let Golkar put
forward its vice chairman, Marzuki Darusman. Marzuki has shown
his integrity, independence and capability as chairman of the
National Commission on Human Rights. He has credibility as a
reform-oriented public figure. If Golkar is to replace Habibie
with a more acceptable candidate, and soon they may have no
choice, there would seem to be no one who fits the bill better
than Marzuki Darusman. He has alienated some Golkar members, but
he remained loyal when others abandoned the party.

Marzuki stayed, convinced that there was hope for Golkar to
become a credible force for reform. By working consistently
toward this goal he has been a credit to Golkar. Now Marzuki
might be Golkar's best hope. And a Golkar reform candidate, with
its large share of MPR votes, might be the nation's best option.

With the support of PPP, PKB, PAN and the smaller parties, and
with a credible candidate like Marzuki, Golkar can prevail
without the military faction votes. Will Golkar's back-room
brokers swallow their pride to work with Marzuki and disinvite
the military from their festival of democracy?

Will PDI Perjuangan cooperate? Marzuki with Megawati as his
vice president would give Indonesia a strong leadership team.
And Megawati may see that she has a far more important role to
play as an effective vice president to a genuine reformer than
she could ever play as a puppet president with a backstage cadre
of PDI Perjuangan opportunists.

Do Indonesia's party leaders appreciate how important it is at
this time in Indonesia's history for a president to come to power
without indebtedness to a run-amok military?

If so, they will surely consider setting aside their personal
and political differences to form a winning coalition that does
not need the military votes. Surely someone from among the would-
be presidents is willing to entrust the presidency to another's
hands, rather than see Indonesia torn apart.