Now is the time to draft 'strong government' agenda

Leon Agusta, Jakarta

It is unlikely anyone would deny that Indonesia could use a strong and steady guiding hand during the ongoing period of reform and transition from 32 years of authoritarian military rule to a democratic government and a strong civil society.

The question facing us now as a nation, while we are preparing for our first direct election of a president since independence nearly 59 years ago, is whether any of the crop of presidential and vice presidential candidates available can give the strong, wise, clean and honest leadership required.

It certainly will not be an easy task for anyone to provide a clear direction and establish concrete programs to adequately address the diverse needs, interests and demands of both the rural and urban segments of our society.

As the years have passed since Soekarno who, after declaring the shackles of colonialism broken, was unanimously selected president by the country's founding fathers, Indonesia has steered an unsteady course through oceans of uncertainty -- through global events after World War II, through the Cold War, and into an increasingly chaotic modern world where the maps of tradition, ideology, and social engineering used by our past leaders are no longer adequate.

Now, like a ship repeatedly battered by massive storms of upheaval and change, Indonesia requires a strong leader who understands the significance of acknowledging and learning from past mistakes and of formulating a strong basis for nation- building. This leader needs to set out a clear egalitarian vision that can meet the challenges posed by the harsh economic, political and social realities facing the people.

Now, as we gear up for weeks of presidential campaigning for the election on July 5 and a possible run-off poll in September, there does not seem to be even one potentially strong, wise leader on the nation's horizon.

Granted, the team of candidates fielded by the Golkar party, Gen. (Ret.) Wiranto and Solahuddin Wahid, are already focusing on strong government and stability in their campaign rhetoric.

These ideas may well sound attractive to voters who have been shaken by the current events in the nation's hot spots, such as Aceh, Ambon, and Papua. Others, however, whose lives have been torn asunder by the security approach imposed so severely in our recent past, may have another opinion entirely.

None of the campaign rhetorics, even the much-desired assurances of peace and security, should be taken at face value at this point. Before we even begin to set a new course for the future, several questions need answering. Most importantly the terminology emerging for debate in the campaign, in particular strong leadership as opposed to strong government, must be defined within the multi-faceted cultural context of Indonesia.

When our candidates and voters speak of "strong government" and "strong leadership", what exactly do they mean? Are we, as a nation, all speaking the same language when we use these terms?

Within the diverse traditions of the peoples of this archipelago, which from the birth of this nation have undergone a process of interaction and adaptation in search of a basis for unity, there are keys to understanding what it is we need collectively to create social, political and economic systems that work for everyone.

In our complex multi-ethnic society, a strong leader must have a deep appreciation of cultural diversity, the willingness to acknowledge the long process of interaction and adaptation toward unity, and the vision to harness the potential strengths inherent in the various cultural traditions that can reinforce that unity.

Another factor vital to strong leadership is the wisdom to listen. Still another, is the ability to use the information gathered to formulate a strong vision, involve all segments of society in it, and delegate authority for planning and implementation.

Perhaps the most important of leadership characteristics in the Indonesian context, however, is the emotional and intellectual maturity to acknowledge the expertise, thinking and rights of other leaders in all levels of society and to accommodate the aspirations of the overall population.

Such a leader would surely have a stronger capacity than our past leaders to overcome the conflicts in the various regions that have been caused by ethnocentrism and the collision of diverse political and economic interests. This leader's understanding of past interactions and acknowledgement of errors made within the wide cultural context that is Indonesia should enable the determination of the causes of the current conflicts.

This cultural approach, the core of which is made up of compassion, accountability, and honesty, would prevent the immediate recourse to judgmental, punitive and forceful -- even violent -- actions that have contributed to our current dilemma, and which will, if not curbed, further the process of disintegration.

With these definitions in mind, the following questions arise in relation to the five-point agenda set out by Wiranto and Solahuddin, and hopefully will be answered during the campaign period.

Of these two men seeking the nation's leadership, one is a retired general facing international charges of crimes against humanity, the other a civilian with strong management skills, who is probably best known for his involvement, however brief, in the National Commission of Human Rights. Both have promised to enforce the law, protect human rights on the basis of that law and to enhance national security.

The question that arises is how effective the existing laws are in terms of protecting human rights. Based heavily on colonial and authoritarian policies, the current laws may be more suited to repression than they are to the defense of justice. Perhaps what is actually needed is not blind enforcement but rather a re-evaluation and reformation of the law.

Also on the agenda is the promise of good governance, at the core of which are transparency and accountability. Solahuddin's recent call for the blanket forgiveness of past actions seems to entirely bypass these core principles of good governance in that up to now nobody has come forward to acknowledge and be accountable for any wrongdoing in past events, such as the detainment and torture of labor activist Marsinah, the violent aftermath of the East Timor referendum, or the May 12 tragedy, to name only a few.

Granted, these are past matters toward which a vengeful approach would be highly detrimental, as Solahuddin has pointed out. And, we need an honest, open and mature approach to their resolution.

The next agenda item covers developing the economy, improving community welfare, eradicating poverty, creating jobs, and providing adequate health care to the nation's populace. What the voters need now is a detailed explanation of how these promises will be realized within the context of enforcing existing laws and the establishment of good governance.

Next on the agenda is the establishment of synergies among the government, business and community in efforts to improve the education system.

The last agenda item, nationwide reconciliation, is certainly not the least important. In fact, without reconciliation and the impetus to understand and set aside differences in order to work together toward common goals, we will never achieve true unity and democracy.

The writer is contributor of The Jakarta Post.