Portrait of a nation
Expressionist painters like Van Gogh and Affandi, if they were still alive today, would be delighted to put the current national scene on canvas.
To untrained eyes, the result might look extremely chaotic, with tragic red coloring visible in addition to irregular yellow and green lines.
At an art exhibition, it would not fail to impress critics while investors might smell gold. As a whole, it would give the impression of a sinking ship near "Democracy Island" in "Justice Bay".
From nearby, one could see the image of a black eagle with broken beak and damaged wings, apparently depicting the debt- ridden nation's economy. The end product would resemble a surrealistic painting not by Dali, but by a mentally handicapped person. The painting invokes all sorts of human feelings except that of peace.
Nobody would know how it came about but on the back of the most modern abstract painting somebody scribbled the following. Solution? First and foremost, do not allow the country to exist for another year without a vice president as prescribed by the Constitution. What if the First Man is incapacitated by illness or another reason? No time should be wasted to overcome shortage of food in any area.
The unemployment problem must be tackled immediately and with greater vigor and honesty by any regional administration if crime is to be suppressed effectively. Those seeking overseas jobs must be encouraged and facilitated.
Economic activities which step up exports must be supported for only exports will contribute to the stability of the national currency. Private and government international debt burden must be solved by all means.
The text in Javanese traditional characters furthermore calls on reformist forces -- especially those students imbued by idealism, a clean conscience and altruism -- that only those elected by the people, not nominated by the power holders, have the right to sit in legislative councils.
In that sense, deliberations by the incumbent House of Representatives (DPR) and People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) are devoid of democratic value unless a way is found to include leaders of the new political parties.
These new parties should announce their welfare programs and what coalitions they would enter into to compete with forces staging a comeback.
Government officials must restrict their comments to their own field and speak like real statesmen with a global view rather than like lawyers defending their local clients. Only salesmen, not statesmen, do not stop arguing.
Actors, not true leaders serving the interest of people in all sorts of crises, feel happy to appear before the camera every day. The message appeals to the citizens to get rid of child labor and the suppression of women's rights.
GANDHI SUKARDI
Jakarta