Learning from Pekalongan

Learning from Pekalongan

On Sunday, April 6, renewed rioting hit the town of
Pekalongan. Earlier riots occurred in the same town from March 24
to March 26. The case of Pekalongan is noteworthy because it was
clearly linked to the upcoming general election, and should teach
us a few useful things.

First, rivalry between election contestants, unless properly
supervised, can lead to disturbances. Second, displays of
arrogance by any of the contestants -- but especially those who
feel that they are strong -- can cause serious problems. Removing
the banners of another contestant while ignoring the accepted
norms of civil conduct is one example of such arrogance. Painting
objects the color of one's own party, or engaging in a "war of
colors", is yet another example.

Third, limiting mass political activities is not always
productive and does not necessarily ensure smooth elections.
Fourth, any political contests and maneuvers held by any of the
contestants should take into consideration the locally prevailing
cultural, social and political conditions. Fifth, we should
constantly keep in mind that general elections are not ends in
themselves. They are merely means to improve political life.

Finally, the unrest in Pekalongan can be a useful means of
introspection and for measuring our readiness to engage in and to
manage political competition. We do indeed have enough experience
in holding elections. We are also quite experienced in
controlling unrest during general elections -- the incident at
Lapangan Banteng, Jakarta, in 1982 is an example -- but in the
past three decades we have shown that we do not have enough
experience in engaging in and managing fair political
competition.

The case of Pekalongan should encourage us to learn how to
compete fairly. Only by learning to do so can we hope to attain
democratic maturity.

-- Republika, Jakarta