Megawati's long good-bye

Megawati's long good-bye

The official results of the presidential election may only have
been announced by the General Elections Commission on Tuesday,
but the outcome has been known for a fortnight. Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono is the president-elect, there can be no doubt about
that.

Outgoing President Megawati Soekarnoputri certainly has the
right to challenge suspected ballot improprieties with the
Constitutional Court, but we doubt, given the large margin of her
defeat, that it will influence the final outcome. While the
letter of the law provides for such a petition, we do not believe
that it was designed to delay the outcome of such a decisive
election. We hope that the losing camp will not tarnish the
accomplishment of the Indonesian people in holding a fair, free
and safe election by exploiting judicial loopholes to force what
is effectively a moot argument.

A concession speech from the incumbent would be welcome, but
more importantly it is Megawati and her administration's
cooperation that should be sought to ensure a smooth change in
leadership.

Megawati and Susilo will set the precedent for future changes
of president. They are not the followers of fashion, but makers
of a new tradition, setting the norms and standards for all
future administrations. Never before in our history have we seen
this.

It is imperative for Megawati to help establish conditions
that will ensure procedural legitimacy during the transition. A
meeting between Megawati and Susilo should be set up by the
outgoing administration. If not, then Susilo should "exhort" such
a meeting from the incumbent.

The significance of such a meeting cannot be underscored
enough. First, it would publicly signify an amiable handover of
power from one administration to the next. Second, it would
present a mood of continuity, promising that there will be no
disconnect in key policies. Third, it would be a public lesson
for the nation in the discipline of democracy.

Apart from the symbolic significance, there are substantial
issues that would have to be discussed during such a meeting, and
the president-elect would have to ensure that he received a full
briefing from Megawati on key matters of state.

It would also be wise for him to gain access to government
intelligence sources, so that on Oct. 20 he would already be
aware of the big picture of the potential threats and challenges
facing the country. Most importantly, he should extract
assurances of consultations between outgoing and incoming senior
officials.

These procedures, if faithfully carried out, would set the
tone for future transitions. It would be a pattern that was hard
to break.

During the short two weeks before his confirmation as
president, Susilo would be well advised to work out a strategy to
fully exploit his brief honeymoon period. Susilo needs to hit the
ground running. Hopefully, an orderly transition will facilitate
Susilo's desire to expedite a swift move into office.

For her part, Megawati has an opportunity to solidify her
legacy. It would be prudent to refrain from making further
decisions that can only be perceived as opportunist or that upset
the policy plans of the incoming government. It is with some
skepticism that we were informed of the government's intention to
close PT ASEAN Aceh Fertilizer at a time when the decision-makers
are the outgoing authority. Such a "long-term" decision probably
should have been left to the charge of the new administration.

The public has a very short memory, and like her or not we
should all concede that Megawati did bring about certain positive
aspects during her reign, not least of which were political
stability and an improved macroeconomic outlook. Nevertheless, it
is usually the last dying breaths that linger the longest.

It would be a shame if the memory of Megawati's "famous last
words" before leaving office were of her giving herself and her
vice president a Rp 20 billion (US$2.22 million) stipend to buy
houses. Even Soeharto, in 1998, had the "decency" to return the
housing allowance that was given to him.

Famous last words, indeed.