Monday's polls a big leap for democracy

Monday's polls a big leap for democracy

A. Junaidi, Jakarta

After almost 60 years, the Indonesian people will have the
opportunity on Monday to elect their president directly, moving
the country a step closer to becoming a full-fledged democracy.

Whoever wins the presidency, he or she will be the most
legitimate leader Indonesia has ever elected. A candidate must
win a simple majority in the landmark election which will see
around 155 million people cast their votes.

Under the old regimes of Sukarno and Soeharto, the nation
never really chose presidents or vice presidents.

The country's founding president Sukarno and vice president
Mohammad Hatta were unanimously elected on Aug. 19, 1945 by the
Indonesian Independence Preparation Committee (PPKI) which
consisted of 15 members, including, Wahid Hasjim, Kasman
Singodimejo, Ki Hajar Dewantara, Oto Iskandar Dinata, Iwa
Kusumasumantri and Sajuti Melik. The committee was founded by the
Japanese colonial government to win over the hearts and minds of
Indonesians in the wake of World War II.

Despite the political and security instability and lack of
preparation, the country organized its first general election in
1955, which was viewed by many as the country's first democratic
election.

Only four years later, Sukarno, backed by the military,
dissolved the Konstituante, the law-making body whose members
were elected in 1955, although they were coming close to
completing the draft of the new Constitution.

Sukarno declared a state of emergency, marking the decline of
democracy in the new nation state.

The Provisional People's Consultative Assembly (MPRS), whose
members were appointed by Sukarno, installed him as life-time
president in 1963.

A failed coup attempt blamed on the Indonesian Communist Party
(PKI) and elements of the Army in 1965 justified a transfer of
power from Sukarno to Gen. Soeharto.

MPRS, which had undergone a purging of communist elements,
held a special session in 1967 to dismiss Sukarno and appoint
Soeharto as acting president.

Democracy became namesake under Soeharto, who resisted
criticism. Under his 32-year rule, Indonesia organized six
general elections, held every five years between 1971 and 1997.

Soeharto's reelection by the People's Consultative Assembly
dominated by his Golkar Party, was always a foregone conclusion
under a political system in which dissension was taboo.

Even "opposition" parties did not dare to nominate candidates
other than Soeharto, known as the smiling general. The Muslim-
based United Development Party (PPP) offered a little bit
opposition in the nomination of the vice president in 1987. but
gave up ahead of election day. Soeharto hailed PPP's submission
as a victory for democracy under state ideology Pancasila.

A severe economic crisis followed by a wave of student
demonstrations demanding sweeping reform forced Soeharto to
resign on May 21, 1998. Vice President B.J. Habibie, whom the MPR
appointed as Soeharto's substitute, promised a snap general
election.

Golkar Party suffered its first defeat ever in the general
election in 1999 which was hailed as the most democratic since
1955. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle finished first,
but its candidate Megawati Soekarnoputri lost to Muslim cleric
Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid thanks to political maneuvering
orchestrated by the Axis Force, a loose coalition of Islamic
parties.

Megawati's defeat was a dear price to pay for an indirect
presidential election, not only because the practice is less
democratic, but also prone to vote buying. A candidate may need
to bribe 351 out of 700 MPR lawmakers to win the presidency.

The same MPR members dismissed Gus Dur in 2001 for
incompetence and appointed Megawati as president.

A bill for a direct presidential election, which was endorsed
by the MPR in 2002, was part of the constitutional amendments the
country required to move toward democracy.

Historian Anhar Gonggong said the direct presidential election
was a big leap Indonesia was making toward democracy.

"Before the reform movement, what we practiced was a pseudo
democracy. Both Sukarno and Soeharto killed democracy," said
Anhar of the University of Indonesia.

The direct presidential election, Anhar said, will allow the
nation to get off to a good start in its bid to achieve genuine
democracy.