New opportunities

New opportunities

With a new reformist President in place, Indonesia is suddenly
back on the diplomatic "A" list. And Australian Prime Minister
John Howard, is very keen to come to the party. What a difference
a decade makes.

The election of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono this month promises
the revival of Indonesia's leadership role in the region and
possibly beyond. Canberra's renewed enthusiasm for cooperation
should come with far less baggage attached than the previous
courtship of Jakarta under the former prime minister Paul
Keating.

The overwhelmingly positive international response to Susilo's
election is partly due to his pro-Western, market-oriented
platform and his pledge to swap policy paralysis for sweeping
reforms. It is also a result of the unexpectedly smooth
democratic process which brought him to office. Hundreds of
millions of ballots were successfully cast this year in national
and presidential elections - one of the world's most complex
electoral exercises.

But it is more than that. Indonesia boasts a moderate Muslim
majority and a historic commitment to religious pluralism. This
makes Jakarta a very desirable ally for the West, not just in a
strategic war on terrorism - including the fight against
Indonesian-based extremist cells - but in the broader ideological
battle to demonstrate that Islam and democracy can co-exist.

For Australia, closer ties with Indonesia could help open
doors across Asia, and the new Cabinet includes at least one
senior economist with a close affinity for Australia. But
Canberra needs to be wary of unrealistically high expectations.
Indonesian Muslims are moderates, but many perceive Western
attitudes towards Islam as uniformly negative. This means the
president will need to steer a somewhat independent course. And
that will make him a somewhat unpredictable new friend.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald

U.S. election Uncertainty

One of the most disturbing, even destabilizing, aspects of the
presidential election is the prospect that partisans on either
side will deem the outcome invalid if their candidate doesn't
win. Republicans are warning of massive fraud by new registrants
not entitled to vote, while Democrats complain of an organized
program to intimidate and disenfranchise eligible voters.

The tension between preventing fraud and ensuring access is
inherent in every election. But the expected closeness of this
one, combined with the lingering bruises of the 2000 race, the
record number of newly enrolled voters and the added
uncertainties posed by a new federal law, have ratcheted that
inevitable conflict to a new level.

Those factors have produced an avalanche of pre-election
litigation, threaten a difficult and perhaps ugly Election Day in
the closest states, and raise the possibility that the victor may
once again not be known for weeks.

With polls showing a closer race this time, and with the use
of provisional ballots apt to be more widespread, the country
could be in for another long and unpleasant post-election period.
Both candidates should weigh the potential costs to the country
as they deploy their lawyers.

--- The Washington Post

Religion and elections

There are certainly conservative Christians in both the U.S.
Democratic and Republican party, but the Christian right has
"kidnapped" the Republicans.

This means that its influence on politics has increased or, in
other words, a mutual dependence has strengthened the .political
importance of religion. And it is among the religious
conservatives that Bush hopes to be able to mobilize new voters
by making the most of religion in the election.

The problem for the Democrats and John Kerry is that this also
puts traditionally Democratic voters with a strong religious view
under a troublesome cross pressure.

--- Goteborgs-Posten, Goteborg, Sweden,