Searching for leadership
The findings of the poll published in this newspaper today, that this country is experiencing a leadership crisis, may not sound earth-shattering to most educated Indonesians. The continuing economic slump; the never-ending street demonstrations; the persistent clinging by the authorities to Soeharto-style policies; and the policy blunders and inconsistencies by a government that calls itself reformist are proof enough that this dismal belief is true -- or at least in the public's perception.
Fortunately, there is also the more optimistic public conviction that any of a number of the currently popular public figures could rise to the challenge and become a decent president given the chance. Megawati Soekarnoputri, Amien Rais, Yogyakarta's Sultan Sri Hamengkubuwono X and Abdurrahman Wahid -- are the four most favored by the poll respondents. However, it must be clear to anyone who has paid any attention to comments made at seminars and public debates by leaders of the youth and student movement that there is in fact no dearth of potential leaders of national stature in this country provided, again, that these budding champions are given the chance to blossom.
It is here -- namely the lack of opportunity for leaders to emerge and develop -- where the fundamental problem of Indonesia's future leadership lies. In the past 54 years since it proclaimed independence, this nation spent its first four years in revolution to free itself from the Dutch. The following nine years was a time of relative instability as the nation dabbled, not very successfully, with Western-style parliamentary democracy. Since 1959 Indonesians have lived under virtual dictatorship; first under Sukarno's "Guided Democracy" and then under Soeharto's "Pancasila Democracy", neither tolerated the emergence of popular grassroots leaders.
As a consequence, no system exists that allows for the democratic recruitment of a national leader. As has been noted, history is not on Indonesia's side where this question of leadership selection is concerned. Yet, history also has shown that the country must, out of necessity, adjust to the times and to the trends that prevail in the increasingly global and competitive community if it is to prosper and grow. The question is: how, especially in this time of crisis, are Indonesians going to overcome this obstacle?
Although it is true that there is at present no shortage of potential leaders among Indonesia's younger generation, and that the resolve to build a prosperous, democratic and just Indonesia is strong among most Indonesians at present, the problems hindering the attainment of this objective are momentous. A common perception about how to go about establishing a more democratic system of government, especially amid the present political and economic crisis, does not exist. For instance, although everyone agrees that a national consensus should provide the most effective way out of the currently prevailing atmosphere of mutual distrust and resentment, leaders are unable to concur on how to go about holding a national dialog that could pave the way toward establishing the desired consensus. Leaders even disagree about what form any dialog should take.
In the circumstances, one most effective initial step Indonesians could take toward bringing about such an atmosphere of accord is by doing some serious soul-searching. The road to achieving a truly democratic society is long and arduous. Still, even for a long journey, a first step must be made. If there is one thing that could inspire Indonesians to persevere on this long journey, it must be the realization that the goal of forging a truly democratic society must somehow be realized.