Legacy of leadership

Leaders at the national level, whatever their nationality, are usually obsessed with the desire to leave behind a legacy of their leadership when they leave office. Presidents and prime ministers in particular should constantly bear in mind that upon leaving office they should be able to point toward the legacy of their leadership that benefited their country. There are, however, national leaders who have left behind a host of problems including national debts to be solved by their countrymen.

Indonesian leaders, starting from the first president (Sukarno), the second, Soeharto, the third, B.J. Habibie and the incumbent fourth, Abdurrahman Wahid, may have tried to meet the requirements but they have not all succeeded well. Indonesia's international prestige was enhanced by Sukarno, who co-sponsored the Asia-Africa Conference in Bandung, West Java, in 1955. But he left a debt-ridden nation behind when he resigned due to his uncontrollable spending.

Soeharto once brought Indonesia to a level of self-sufficiency in food which became an example to other developing nations. But he was responsible for what has become popularly known as KKN, an acronym for corruption, collusion and nepotism, which was practiced on a grand scale and also involved his family.

Habibie had difficulty freeing himself from the image of his predecessor. He also created an empire of his scientific and intellectual experiments disregarding the cost to be paid by the state. Abdurrahman Wahid appears not to care much about what legacy his leadership would leave behind so long as he enjoys his position.

Do we need to draw a comparison with former U.S. president Bill Clinton when he transferred his post to George W. Bush with a positive legacy of his leadership -- except at handling aides? My point is that most of our leaders are only obsessed by the desire to get rich while in power and how to hide their wealth when they leave their post. The result is that the rich become richer and the poor get poorer.

It is very appropriate indeed that when a number of new presidents have appeared at the firmament, in Congo, in the USA, and indeed in the Philippines, Indonesian leaders should think seriously what leadership legacy, such as exemplary behavior and spiritual values -- not just foreign bank accounts, they will leave behind when they quit office.

GANDHI SUKARDI

Jakarta