No more one-man show
<p>No more one-man show</p><p> The editorial After the first 100 days which appeared in your
Jan. 26, 2000 issue was welcomed since it is entirely appropriate
at this time for your editorial staff to take stock of
performance of the new government. You also put forth a real
suggestion of sorts, i.e., that Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri needs an able and professional staff to aid her in
performing her duties. What troubles this reader, however, are
your two concluding thoughts: 1. That every thinking Indonesian
should "pray for Gus Dur's health"; and 2. That the only thing we
can do to avoid a national catastrophe is to strongly urge
Megawati to strive to improve her capability. First, it strikes
me as most strange that The Jakarta Post, presumably a secular-
oriented newspaper, should be suggesting prayers. More
importantly, you completely miss the point about the democratic
form of government now embraced by the Indonesian people. This is
a participative form of government that rises and falls with the
degree of constructive involvement therein of its citizens. Thus,
you should be urging your readers to strengthen their government;
as a whole by participating in building -- from the ground up --
new democratic institutions.</p><p>Your thinking unfortunately shows holdover effects from the
era of Pak Harto who ruled, many say, like a Javanese king. The
point is that the Indonesian government should no longer be a
one-man show.</p><p>Second, while you are certainly correct that Megawati has
shown herself to be ineffective, strongly urging her to improve
is not, most assuredly, the only thing that can be done to avoid
a national catastrophe. Rather than put forward here such other
things myself, allow me to suggest that your editors take it upon
themselves to advocate more meaningful ways to build a viable
national polity that will endure even in the face of the
deteriorating health (should such occur) of its chief executive.</p><p> DAVID K.</p><p>Jakarta</p>
Jan. 26, 2000 issue was welcomed since it is entirely appropriate
at this time for your editorial staff to take stock of
performance of the new government. You also put forth a real
suggestion of sorts, i.e., that Vice President Megawati
Soekarnoputri needs an able and professional staff to aid her in
performing her duties. What troubles this reader, however, are
your two concluding thoughts: 1. That every thinking Indonesian
should "pray for Gus Dur's health"; and 2. That the only thing we
can do to avoid a national catastrophe is to strongly urge
Megawati to strive to improve her capability. First, it strikes
me as most strange that The Jakarta Post, presumably a secular-
oriented newspaper, should be suggesting prayers. More
importantly, you completely miss the point about the democratic
form of government now embraced by the Indonesian people. This is
a participative form of government that rises and falls with the
degree of constructive involvement therein of its citizens. Thus,
you should be urging your readers to strengthen their government;
as a whole by participating in building -- from the ground up --
new democratic institutions.</p><p>Your thinking unfortunately shows holdover effects from the
era of Pak Harto who ruled, many say, like a Javanese king. The
point is that the Indonesian government should no longer be a
one-man show.</p><p>Second, while you are certainly correct that Megawati has
shown herself to be ineffective, strongly urging her to improve
is not, most assuredly, the only thing that can be done to avoid
a national catastrophe. Rather than put forward here such other
things myself, allow me to suggest that your editors take it upon
themselves to advocate more meaningful ways to build a viable
national polity that will endure even in the face of the
deteriorating health (should such occur) of its chief executive.</p><p> DAVID K.</p><p>Jakarta</p>