JP/3/DEMOKRA

JP/3/DEMOKRA
This is the 20th article in a series on the 24 political parties
contesting the 2004 elections.

Security comes before recovery: Susilo's party

Sandy Darmosumarto
Research and Development Unit
The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

Disillusion typically follows euphoria, and one usual response
is a wish to return to the good old days, or at least a semblance
of them. This is the inspiration behind many new parties, and the
Democratic Party is no exception.

Therefore, the figure of retired general Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono conforms with the image of some of a potential leader
concerned with order and security, with a fair pinch of
democracy, respect for human rights and respect for the military.
The communications skills of the coordinating minister for
political and security affairs, who, like other officers, had
military training in the United States, are not bad either.

With such a figure one's fears of the reformasi era going wild
with its ugly excesses are somewhat appeased, and hopes are
raised that the country might be able to resume some of its
dignity lost during the crisis. Susilo fared comparatively well
in a number of polls on favorite future leaders held last year
(although a bulk of respondents, or 34 percent of those polled in
September by the International Foundation for Election Systems
said they didn't know whom to nominate as president).

He lost the vice presidential contest in 1999 to Hamzah Haz,
though he gained unanimous support from the military and police
faction in the legislature -- and has now benefited from
disappointment at the current leadership.

He has been nominated as presidential candidate, not only by
the Democratic Party; he is also being considered by at least
another party led by a retired general, Edi Sudradjat of the
Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia). If Susilo was
in Golkar, formerly the most powerful party, he might have made
its convention of presidential candidates more lively.

And Susilo, military chief of staff of territorial affairs
from 1998 to 1999, will also benefit from the fact that there is
no rule against parties embracing figures beyond their own circle
as their presidential candidate.

He recently gained positive PR for his ethical stand when he
stated he would resign from the Cabinet, even before the
government passed a rule on making ministers non-active if they
were running for the presidency along with their boss, Megawati
Soekarnoputri.

Susilo's supporters and cofounders of this party include
scholars and legislators who supported him in 1999. The party's
red-and-white logo bears its nationalist colors in line with the
nation's flag, and the party booklet says the triangular star-
shaped logo symbolizes harmony, pluralism and humanism, against a
blue, pacific background.

Prioritize a sense of security, the party implies, and
economic, social and political stability will follow. To heal the
nation its agenda promises "recovery, reform and reconciliation".
Like-minded celebrities such as Dedy Mizwar and Angelina Sondakh
sit on its board, already sprinkled with MA and MBA degrees.

All this from a retired general with no trail of annoying
charges of human rights abuse, and the new party expressing
confidence of being able to pass the threshold.

But party leaders like Budhisantoso, a professor of
anthropology at the University of Indonesia, know that much work
is needed to make people actually latch on to the party logo and
pierce it on election day.

No matter how popular a political figure may be, what good is
that if people don't know what party he comes from?

The party's deputy secretary-general, Ponti Pandean, told The
Jakarta Post that his party was "an alternative for people from
all walks of life" who were disappointed with the current
situation and the internal struggles found in large, established,
political parties like Golkar.

Ponti claimed that public demand for Susilo's leadership was
strong in regions prone to conflict and rioting such as Nanggroe
Aceh Darussalam -- where enthusiastic faces greet Susilo every
time duty calls to the troubled province -- and the eastern part
of the country. His estimates sound quite extraordinary; around
30 percent of total votes in the eastern regions would favor the
party, he said. Then again, the party can look to secretary-
general E. Mangindaan, a respected retired military figure and
former governor of North Sulawesi.

Another hopeful source of votes is Java, especially in East
Java, where Susilo's hometown, Pacitan, lies.

The party, however, lacks links to mass organizations compared
with others. Nevertheless, its executives hope that Susilo's
popularity will also draw voters from Muslims in the largest
organizations, the Muhammadiyah or Nadhlatul Ulama.