Problems facing Indonesia
According to your article of Nov. 15 "Many seek Wiranto's resignation," following the killings on Friday, Nov. 13, Gen. Wiranto was responsible for the antidemonstration bill and the deployment of armed civilian guards, which guaranteed a confrontation, and for stationing undisciplined troops in a most sensitive area on the last day of the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
However, it is also necessary to consider the roots of the conflict and the way to end it. The only solution is a free and fair general election, which can bring in a representative and trusted legislature and can also provide a common goal for all politically minded citizens. But there are three main obstacles to such an election.
The first is that President Habibie refuses to accept that his presidency is transitional. Instead of focussing on the election, he poses as a spearhead of reform, a bastion of stability or a fountain of benevolence in a doomed attempt to boost the stature of his presidency.
The second is that the Armed Forces (ABRI) wants to reform at a pace that suits it, not at a pace that suits Indonesia. ABRI is determined that the next legislature will not be representative of the people and is ready to use threats and force to defend its interests.
The third is the Functional Group (Golkar), which refuses to acknowledge its 25 years of lying and cheating. By its nonapology, Golkar is signaling that it cares more about electoral success than it does about honesty. Everyone can understand what this will mean for the next election.
These three factors all contributed to the failure of the MPR's Special Session. The session should, as chairman of the National Mandate Party, Amien Rais, said, have decreed early elections and been finished in half an hour. Limiting a president to two terms could have waited until next year's general session. Most of the other decrees are pure cosmetics telling the government and the House of Representatives to do what they obviously should be doing anyway. The agenda was padded out to four days to give credibility to Habibie and the current MPR members. But the only real chance they had to gain credibility through a practical measure was to establish ABRI's seats in the legislature. Several people died trying to tell them that this was what the people wanted but they still failed to hear.
I think they failed to hear, and did not want to hear, because of the three problems outlined above. It is these three problems which must be alleviated if further bloodshed is to be avoided. So, in considering Wiranto's resignation or dismissal, it is worth asking whether his departure will help solve these problems or only reinforce them.
JOHN HARGREAVES
Jakarta