Some questions remain

Some questions remain

When President B. J. Habibie signed a regulation clarifying
the political status of civil servants on Tuesday, the government
appeared satisfied that the drawn out controversy over the matter
was at an end. However, many questions remain.

The special regulation became necessary after the House of
Representatives became irreconcilably divided over the issue.
Golkar, the dominant faction in the House and the lynchpin of
former president Soeharto's regime, was suspected of playing a
devious game and accused of trying to preserve its influence over
civil servants to serve its own ends.

The government regulation aims to create a politically neutral
bureaucracy and thus placate fears that bureaucrats will work to
undermine the June general election. Opposition parties have long
campaigned for a neutral bureaucracy, which is essential in any
democratic society. They point out that throughout former
president Soeharto's 32-year rule, civil servants were used as
pawns in his dirty political games. During this period, the
bureaucracy ceased to serve the public and the nation slid into
the darkest period of its modern history.

Now that it has been issued, the government must act to show
that the regulation is capable of upholding the high minded idea
of neutrality. Worryingly, close examination of the regulation
reveals an ambiguously drafted, loose piece of legislation which
if left unclarified will leave the public more confused than
ever.

It stipulates that civil servants who intend to retain their
membership of political parties or undertake political activities
will lose their structural posts in the government but will
retain their status as civil servants. The regulation applies to
all civil servants, including directors general, lecturers and
clerks of court. Since they can be reinstated after they cease to
be politically active, it is likely that senior members of the
bureaucracy who leave to pursue their own political agendas will
retain an ample degree of influence over their former
subordinates and colleagues.

The reality is that many civil servants hold key positions in
Golkar, while the other political parties have only very
insignificant ties to the bureaucracy. The regulation will thus
present Golkar with an unfair advantage at the general election
and allow the ruling grouping to benefit from its recent
trickery.

Another clause from which Golkar stands to benefit is one
stating that all civil servants holding positions in political
parties (read Golkar) should report their involvement in politics
within three months of the regulation taking effect. May falls
three months from now and one month before the general election.
What games Golkar can play with words. And these are but a few
examples.

The general public wanted the country's independent political
parties and reform-minded activists to keep a close watch on
Golkar and the government during deliberation of the political
bills. The bills set out the rules for the general election, and
many observers feared the establishment would use its remaining
influence to stack the election cards in its favor.

Unfortunately, the new political parties let the moment pass
with little more than a whimper, and only Amien Rais, the
chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN), has shown any
serious concern about the matter. This spineless show by the
nation's new political parties may yet have serious repercussions
for the country, but only when it is too late will the error of
their recent lethargy become apparent.

The public will reject another rigged poll. They have had the
wool pulled over their eyes since 1970 and they are tired of it.
Their reaction to yet another brazen insult to their intelligence
will push the nation into unimaginable chaos.