Megawati in global perspective

By Aleksius Jemadu

JAKARTA (JP): One of the distinctive features of the post cold war international system is related to the fact that ongoing global economic liberalization has necessitated the presence of democratic procedures in doing politics both at the national and international level.

It should come as no surprise if democratic movements around the world immediately gain strong support from the international community. Undemocratic regimes would risk being isolated and they could find it very difficult having their objectives met.

The prime element of the democratic system in doing politics is the reason behind Francis Fukuyama's (1992) claim that a "liberal democracy may constitute the end of mankind's ideological evolution" and "the final form of human government". Modern history has witnessed the collapse of hereditary monarchy, fascism, and most recently communism. Therefore, democracy is a political necessity in a civilized world.

Whether we like it or not, in the eyes of the international community Megawati Soekarnoputri has become an Indonesian symbol of democratic government. The extensive coverage of her actions and statements by the international press indicates that she is widely recognized as a talented leader. The creation of a such image has been attributed not so much to her merits as to the way her opponents have treated her. Megawati was toppled by a kind of politicking which cannot be considered democratic and fair.

Moreover, her supporters were politically disenfranchised by the fact they could not act against their conscience to vote for a government-dominated PDI. The political bitterness has not stopped there. As it turned out, the election results indicate that the government-backed PDI's performance was the worst throughout its history. No democratic leader could ever cheer such a political fiasco.

After one year struggling for political justice and fairness, many questions still lie ahead for Megawati. Does she stand a chance of regaining PDI leadership? Will the government be more accommodative to her demands? Or will she be removed from Indonesian politics for good? What kind of strategy is she supposed to use so that she might gain political advantage from the government-backed PDI's failure? Can she increase her international standing so that she might gain more support from the international community?

Megawati is surely aware of the fact that her democratic struggle is just a part of a global movement. But she cannot take this for granted. There are some requirements that she needs to fulfill if she wants to ensure wider international sympathy.

First, Megawati has to show that she really loves this nation above everything else as her father once did. Loving the nation means loving its people. True love always has consequences. One of them is that her political interests might be put in second place. Megawati also has to consistently shun all kinds of violence in achieving her political objectives.

Second, Megawati should learn from PDI's past experiences. The party has often been torn apart by internal rivalries among its leaders. Without these rivalries, there would never have been any move from outside to shake the party's leadership. In the past, there was a nice match between opportunistic figures within the party and the external interference which tried to destroy the party's future. Unfortunately, there is no indication that such a political game will not happen again in the future. This is probably the most serious obstacle that PDI has to face to ensure it has a special place in the hearts of Indonesian people.

What lesson can Megawati learn from such a bitter experience? The most important thing to do is to be more selective in choosing her assistants. They should be politicians with undoubted integrity and loyalty to the party's cause. Otherwise they would be easily persuaded by outside forces to betray her and the party altogether.

Third, to give more weight to her struggle Megawati needs to base her arguments on a more intellectual foundation. Without underestimating her knowledge as a politician, I would suggest she increase her dialog with intellectuals who might be sympathetic to her cause. This nation has many major problems which require thorough scientific analysis. For instance, does Megawati have a clear answer to the question of the future Indonesian political format which might ensure political stability and economic growth? How can our competitive edge be increased in the mid of economic globalization? What is the most effective way to combat corruption and collusion? The people need clear answers to these questions.

As far as the government is concerned, more persuasive measures would be more effective in dealing with any political opposition. The fact that the government-backed Soerjadi performed badly in the election should remind us that we cannot dictate the conscience of the people. As a young nation, we need to learn more about democracy. Included in this agenda is a commitment to treat any political opposition in a spirit of togetherness as a family. After all, we belong to the same nation, don't we?

The writer is the Director of Parahyangan Center for International Studies (PACIS) at the Catholic University of Parahyangan, Bandung.

Window: Megawati is surely aware of the fact that her democratic struggle is just a part of a global movement. But she cannot take this for granted.