SBY beats all odds as nominee of tiny party

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

If anything, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has beaten the odds by winning the presidential election in comprehensive fashion with a tiny political party.

As pundits are busy searching for an explanation, it would be good to go back to the words of his biographer during a gathering in March, when he said that Susilo himself would not be at all surprised at the result.

Why?

"Because he knows his competence and he knows what people really want," Usamah Hisyam stated during the launching of SBY, The Democrat at the time.

Panelists at the gathering agreed, and added that Susilo was a "marketable" figure that could present a serious challenge to other contenders, including the incumbent president Megawati Soekarnoputri, Wiranto and Amien Rais.

Susilo has relied more on his management team than on his novice Democrat Party, which he set up to lobby other parties and mass organizations.

"We were able to get political and financial support from minority parties, mass organizations and businesspeople to respond to people's need for a change," Lt. Gen. (ret.) M. Ma'roef, chief strategist of the Susilo-Kalla pair told The Jakarta Post last Friday.

Ma'roef acknowledged that despite Susilo's good performance in the past it was not that easy to "sell" him, especially with the likes of other veteran civilian presidential hopefuls like Megawati or Amien Rais.

Susilo realized that he was not a candidate from a major party, he had no money to fund the campaign and that his military background was an obstacle. "But, I'm optimistic that the people will give vote for me because they really want to see change," Susilo once said.

He chose former coordinating minister for people's welfare Yusuf Kalla as his running mate, in part because Kalla had established a reputation as successful business tycoon.

Susilo's campaign management team attempted to show his "civilized" and empathetic side during the campaigning and in his meetings with various groups in society, including informal leaders and religious leaders to negate the image of a military man.

This method proved successful as he won the first round of election despite smear campaigns attacking him with well- publicized lies and students and rights activists calling for an end to all military politicians.

Susilo's team published at least two other books: SBY & Resolusi Konflik (SBY and conflict resolution) and Sembilan Alasan Memilih SBY (Nine reasons to vote for SBY). SBY, Sang Demokrat depicts Susilo's childhood, military career and his thoughts and SBY & Resolusi Konflik tells about SBY's role in conflict resolutions in Papua, Sampit, Poso, Maluku and Aceh during his tenure as Cabinet minister under Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

A. Yani Wahid, a co-author of SBY & Resolusi Konflik, said Susilo's military background and strong leadership had played an important role in his success, to some extent, in the resolution of communal and sectarian conflicts in many regions in the past.

He added that the adage, 'the stronger the wind blows the firmer the tree will stand' prevailed in Susilo's case.

"The higher the position a man is occupying, the more temptation he will face, but he will certainly be stronger," he said.

Susilo has weathered various attacks, including one about being involved in the bloody siege of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Headquarters involving Megawati's supporters in Central Jakarta on July 27, 1996. Other unsubstantiated rumors had him secretly negotiating with the United States during the 1999 East Timor mayhem.

Having studied in and made numerous other visits to the United States, he has been accused of having a second citizenship in that country and of favoring diplomatic ties with Israel.

Three days before the voting day, former Army chief R. Hartono accused him of having married a girl from the Philippines in the 1970s while still a cadet at the Army Academy in Central Java.

Susilo graduated from the Military Academy in 1973 and began his military career in the Army's Strategic Reserve Command Airborne Division. He won a special award for good performance and command in numerous military operations.

Susilo, who was born in Pacitan, East Java, on Sept. 9, 1949, was the son of Soekotjo, a former military chief of Blitar district, and Siti Habibah. He was married to Kristiani Herawati, daughter of former commander of the Army Academy, Sarwo Edhie Wibowo. They have two sons, Agus Harimurthi Yudhoyono, now an Army serviceman and Eddhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, who is studying in Australia.

Apart from several special forces training courses in the United States, Susilo also had several overseas assignments under the UN umbrella, from 1995 to 1996, and earned a Master's Degree from Webster University in the United States. Last week, he finished his doctorate program at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB).