Mentally ill nation
Mentally ill nation
A mentally ill person may go insane or become a mad man if he
runs amok. Following ethnic clashes and interreligious conflicts
which have turned many parts of the nation aflame and is tearing
it apart, as it were, there is no denial that we are, mentally, a
sick nation. How could we land back in a situation of "tribal
clashes" after 50 years of independence? There seems to have
never been any real attempt at unifying the people, or not
seriously enough. In fact, it is true to say now that we lost
leaders who could unify this nation. What was carried out by the
former administration in terms of nation building during three
decades of power perhaps only the devil knows.
The people who associated themselves with the Functional Group
during the New Order period are partly to blame for this national
tragedy. There could be no worse time to organize a general
election than when stability has vanished almost everywhere.
Yet, how "wonderfully composed" the leaders debating their
candidates for presidency while half the country's people are
running for their lives. Look at Aceh, Ambon, Timor and now
Sambas.
Having left such a bad legacy in nation-building, and being
mostly responsible for the country's economic chaos, while some
of them are piling up wealth, the ministers feel no guilt at all
and are waiting to campaign for better times more for themselves
rather than with their mind on the suffering masses.
Today's leaders are full of ambition on how to get elected as
president or a minister. Fortunately, from the old school
(Soeharto's era), I suppose one man stands high above the others,
simply because he listens to his conscience and has the courage
to suggest that cabinet ministers refrain from campaigning for
their parties. His name is Gen. (ret.) Rudini, chairman of
General Election Commission. How slow others are to realize that
campaigning for this class of people -- cabinet ministers and
party chairman in incumbent administration who had not been
elected -- entails abuse of power that was common during the New
Order era. The reform ship will never reach the new democratic
port. Instead, the old (or should I say decaying) mentality will
return. These people have had their turn and it is time for them
to watch from the sidelines.
Those ministers turned politicians actually have an early
start. Their visits to outlying areas and their activities in
distributing food and financial assistance to those in need may
be classified as covert campaigning. The message is that "if you
do not vote for us, do not expect to get more aid or keep your
jobs." There must have been abuse of foreign assistance within
the social safety net -- unintentionally, of course.
Hopefully, Rudini will continue to uphold the true reform
spirit until the end of the general election.
A mentally sick nation with such vast plurality as ours will
take a long and arduous time to heal, while we lack leaders with
vision and courage to sacrifice self-interests.
Whether cabinet ministers should be allowed to go on the
campaign trail is purely an ethical issue stemming from morality,
not so much from political rights.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta