Problems facing Indonesia

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