New Order revival?

Just nine days remain to the 22-day campaign period, after which there is a three-day cooling-off period before people cast their votes for legislative candidates on April 5. It will be the first of two direct elections the people of this country have ever participated, the second being the presidential election in July.

Campaigning by political parties last week, though generally peaceful, was far less exciting than the 1999 campaign when the nation had just freed itself from the yoke of a repressive government. Then, euphoria engulfed the whole nation, one year after Soeharto, the autocrat Army general, quit his 32-year iron- fisted rule.

The bland atmosphere notwithstanding, the usual way of campaigning is back: dangdut (a blend of Indian, Arabic and local flavor) performances and free T-shirts for supporters. However, it quickly became clear that the public had little interest in listening to campaigners' speeches. Gone are the days when political parties could mobilize people to follow the campaign trail during most of the Soeharto years.

Not to be outdone, political parties have come up with all sorts of schemes, no matter that they may violate election rules, to lure supporters. They give free basic food stuff, door prizes, scholarships and even money to the detriment of the quality of political education.

The only consolation is the intellectual agility shown by some candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), who have introduced door-to-door campaigning. Foremost among them are former minister Sarwono Kusumaatmadja and former legislator Bambang Warih Koesoema who talked with members of the grass roots.

Although it appears that all the fanfare of last week has not mended the dashed hopes of a better Indonesia. Indeed, the week also saw the rise of remnants of the New Order government. They appeared under no guise, as though the public has forgotten all the blunders committed by the old regime.

A retired Army general and the daughter of the autocrat Soeharto went on stage, glorifying the "good old days". Gen. R. Hartono called upon members of his audience in Yogyakarta to become Soeharto minions like himself.

But his plea was irrelevant because Soeharto needs no help. He remains free despite allegations that while in power he accumulated huge personal wealth. This is clear proof that his lackeys are alive and kicking. They never failed to jump to his defense each time it appeared he was to be brought to trial. Although, lackeys are lackeys. They behave so, first of all, to save their own skins. The Soeharto family businesses remain mostly untouched. That the reform movement stalled was, in large part, due to the resistance of his lackeys. They may have swelled with the inclusion of former reformist elements who floundered under the lure of power and money.

The general made a pledge that he would bring the good old days back to the country if Siti Hardiyanti "Tutut" Rukmana were to be elected president as the candidate for his Concern for the Nation Functional Party (PKPB). Hartono may have forgotten that during Soeharto's rule, around US$10 billion, about a third of the country's foreign debt, mysteriously disappeared. Today, every Indonesian citizen has a personal debt of Rp 10 million ($1,200), thanks to the culture of corruption selfishly nurtured during Soeharto's rule. Statistics sound like a litany of grief, with half of the population of 210 million people living in abject poverty on less than $2 a day and unemployment reaching a boggling 40 million.

All this, plus the devastation of intangible assets like failed institution building, the absence of free speech, the mafia-like judiciary, the aesthetics of banality. Many of these fiascoes persist. The "good old days" Hartono and Tutut were referring to was simply a house of cards that collapsed under the pressure of the 1997 financial crisis.

The general and daughter duo do not likely pose any serious challenge to other politicians, but they are smart enough to exploit the absence of demands to bring Soeharto before the court, demands that dominated the 1999 elections. Their resurgence merely demonstrates the New Order remnants' heightened level of confidence.

As political parties make the most of the remaining campaign days, it is imperative that the battered, scattered and weakened reformist forces join hands. It is time to embark on a long journey to heal the wounds left by a 32-year dictatorship. The resurrection of New Order forces must be halted by reminding the people of its past mistakes. The people have to be able to pick the right candidates in the elections.

Insightful political observer Mochtar Pabottingi put it succinctly when he said that people should not vote for Yellow Golkar (Soeharto's political machine for three decades and which remains intact to this day), Red Golkar (Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, PDI-P) or the True Golkar (the PKPB). Yogyakarta Governor/Sultan Hamengkubuwono X made an exemplary gesture when he categorically rejected Hartono's appeal. Too many things would be at stake should the New Order remnants manage a comeback. Our people must not be cheated a second time.