Legitimacy on the wane

Legitimacy on the wane

For four months, Gus Dur (President Abdurrahman Wahid) and
Mega (Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri) have joined hands in
running the government. Many problems have been resolved, but
many new ones have arisen.

The problems of Aceh and Maluku have been settled, although
not fully. Among the new problems that have emerged is the lack
of coordination among ministers in the Cabinet. While Gus Dur has
been successful in establishing himself as a democrat and
humanist in the eyes of the international community, at home the
issues of coordination and selecting the right priorities have
been neglected.

The demonstrations that have occurred in recent weeks are a
signal that the people are beginning to question the legitimacy
of the present government. The feeling of distrust is spreading
because the government appears to have lost its sense of
priorities.

Matters concerning the economy, which should be the focus of
the government's efforts, have lost appeal and political rhetoric
is gaining interest. Respect for the law, which should have been
a major indicator of the public's trust in the government, is
being increasingly eroded by unresolved cases corruption, which
we are supposed to be fighting.

The value of the rupiah, which the state budget has set at
6000 to the U.S. dollar, is approaching 8000 and expected new
foreign investments have failed to come. There seems to be no
strong determination on the part of the government to establish
the supremacy of the law.

It is not too much to say, then, that the demonstrations of
the past days and weeks are a reflection of the public's lack of
trust. This is a signal that should not be ignored by Gus Dur and
Megawati.

-- Media Indonesia, Jakarta