People forgotten as politicians begin campaigns

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, korpur@yahoo.com

Self-proclaimed presidential candidate Amien Rais recently had a comical experience when his hosts dressed him like a Chinese emperor during a Chinese New Year celebration in the business district of Harco Mangga Dua in West Jakarta.

"This grand attire is too big," Amien joked.

Hopefully, nobody took it that his oversized outfit was an indication that Amien's presidential ambition was too big for him to achieve.

Many of Amien's supporters, including some of his hosts at the celebration, believe that it is only a matter before he occupies Merdeka Palace.

Amien, speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly and chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), is widely regarded as the strongest contender, so far, against President Megawati Soekarnoputri in next year's general election.

Election fever, especially for president and vice president, has hit major political parties, like Megawati's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Vice President Hamzah Haz's United Development Party (PPP) and PAN.

Golkar, the second largest faction in the House of Representatives, has not indicated its interest, mainly because its chairman Akbar Tandjung has been convicted for corruption but is awaiting the outcome of an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Now the political parties are reportedly busy collecting donations from private companies and from lucrative state-owned firms like Pertamina.

A top executive of state electricity firm PLN recently disclosed that political parties tried all sort of approaches to secure funds for the elections.

The House is still deliberating bills on general elections and presidential elections after passing a law on political parties. The bills are still far from completion, while a general election is scheduled for next year and major political parties are busy preparing as though the elections are only a few weeks away.

It seems that only minor technicalities are holding up the bills. Legislators appear to be little interested in ensuring that the general election and presidential election will be democratic, because that could endanger their own political existence. Small political parties are demanding a more transparent electoral system, but who is listening to them?

Cabinet ministers are also affected by election fever. Some of the ministers concede that the elections are a very important factor when it comes to issuing government policies, from the importation of sugar to the trials of corrupt government officials and human rights violators. Any small mistake is enough for the parties to embarrass a minister when their vested- interests are intruded upon.

Megawati has publicly announced that she will not give up the presidential seat willingly and has challenged her opponents to concentrate on defeating her next year instead of trying to sabotage her current government.

Interestingly the strongest opposition against her political ambition is not from her political rivals but from her own family. Her youngest sister, Rachmawati Soekarnoputri, has repeatedly said that Megawati has no capability to lead the country. She may feel that she deserves the presidential seat more than Megawati, even though Rachmawati herself does not have an impressive record.

Other names appear in the media or are being bandied about, not just among the political elite but also by housewives. Some say the incumbent coordinating minister for political and security affairs, Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is a potential candidate. Former Indonesian Military commander Gen.(ret.) Wiranto is also often mentioned. However, neither Susilo or Wiranto are supported by a major political party, and the election bill does not allow independents to run.

Elections are still more than 12 months away. Amid economic hardships, people need to survive. They cannot wait for politicians to fulfill their promises to create a prosperous Indonesia. Victims of flood and landslide fail to attract the government's attention.

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea, for instance, is more busy attacking Sony's decision to close its plant here than visiting transmigrants who have had to abandon their farms in Aceh. Seeking a strategy to ensure Megawati's victory may also be more tempting for him rather than visiting victims of famine in his own province of East Nusa Tenggara.

In the rush to prepare for elections, politicians and officials barely have time to attend to the miserable fate of the millions of farmers whose crops have failed because of flood, or because they cannot afford fertilizer.

Ordinary Indonesians understand very well the "preelection behavior" of politicians -- from Megawati to Amien -- who tend to suddenly empathize with the people and act like a generous prince or princess from another planet. They give the poor a small amount of rice or other forms of charity, and offer them empty promises ahead of elections.

But do not underestimate ordinary Indonesians. They are wiser than the politicians and will punish those who betray their trust. Ahead of the 1999 general election, international and national media predicted that the polls would be marred by violence because people were not prepared for democratic elections.

Yet Indonesia had a very peaceful general election. And after that what happened with the new breed of politicians, like Megawati? Their behavior has gone in the same direction as Soeharto's, and after a time they learned to ignore the people who voted for them. And they become involved in corruption -- to a degree even worse than their predecessors, some say. Voters will very likely punish such politicians next year. What will the sentence be? Let's wait another year: Do not be too impatient.