Politicians' earnestness

Politicians' earnestness

From Republika

To Indonesians, who have just embarked on a reform drive, the
problems they are now encountering are indeed tough and serious.
Besides, our people also have to confront major challenges. It is
impossible for us, Indonesians, to solve these problems if our
elite -- or those considering themselves elite -- continue to
involve themselves in conflicts by prioritizing their own
superiority.

Mutual blasphemy -- not infrequently lacking in proportion --
riots, natural disasters and people's angry outbursts as a result
of their impoverished lives are problems that need solving. To
borrow the metaphor once used by Ariel Heryanto, a political
anthropologist now living in Australia, Indonesia is a large
vessel which has sprung many leaks.

To prevent this large vessel from sinking to rock bottom, I
fully agree that the Ciganjur Declaration should be followed up
by informal gatherings and dialogs involving community and
religious figures and various other quarters and held in a spirit
of democracy, egalitarianism, honesty and transparency, with all
the parties involved placing the interests of the state and the
nation above that of their own or their groups. These figures --
civilian and military -- must seek a common platform. Differences
of opinion must be placed in the framework of democracy,
encompassing scientific, political, economic, social, cultural,
security and defense affairs, and should not be allowed to
deteriorate into schisms, a condition which may come about if the
parties involved do not see things clearly and persistently cling
to their egotism.

After the stepping down of president Soeharto, Amien Rais and
reform-minded groups should not insist on drastic and
revolutionary changes because Indonesians in general need to
adjust to the new atmosphere after being suppressed for 32 years
under the yoke of the New Order regime. This does not mean that I
am in favor of the status quo. Even Prophet Muhammad -- directly
guided by God through Gabriel -- needed no less than 23 years to
transform a society characterized by pagan ignorance into an
Islamic one.

It is hoped that our elite, particularly the political elite,
will be willing to sit together in all sincerity to discuss the
various problems faced by the nation in a spirit of togetherness.
They should realize that everybody has their pluses and minuses.
Many excellent precedents were set by our predecessors in this
respect, for example, the Youth Congress in 1928 with its Youth
Pledge and the 1945 session of an agency assigned to prepare the
independence of Indonesia, in which a decision was made to
establish Pancasila, the five-point principle, the state
foundation of the Republic of Indonesia.

Remember, it has been predicted that many things beyond man's
imagination will happen in 1999, also known as the Year of the
Rabbit in the lunar calendar.

AHSIN MUBARY

Semarang