Post-election Indonesian prospects

Post-election Indonesian prospects

When former president Soeharto ruled Indonesia general
elections were staged like clockwork every five years with the
results known well in advance. It is a measure of how much things
have changed that there is still no final result from the poll
three weeks ago.

With little over half the vote counted the broad outlines are
clear. The secular nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) of Megawati Soekarnoputri is out in
front with about 36 percent, followed by the ruling Golkar Party
on 18.5 percent. The National Awakening Party (PKB) of
Abdurrahman Wahid is on 18 percent.

It is difficult to imagine the presidency could be awarded to
anyone other than Megawati. The fact that Megawati and (Muslim
leader Abdurrahman) Wahid are in loose alliance gives her an
added advantage.

Such an alliance would give Indonesia a government with three
important characteristics. First it would have a strong grounding
in Java. Second it would be a government which, while committed
to reform, would be in no hurry to overturn the existing social
and economic order. Finally it would be a government distinctly
wary of modernist Islam.

-- The Sydney Morning Herald