Megawati in global perspective

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.