Success means what?
Success means what?
Groups have expressed doubts that President B. J. Habibie's
government is sincere in its intent to hold a fair general
election next year. They say the government deliberately decided
on such a short time span for the preparation of the poll in the
hope it will allow it to retain power. That is why, they add, the
Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) --
opening on Tuesday -- is a meaningless event.
The majority of the populace seems to have no objection to the
session and wants it to be a success. However, we need to
remember that success invariably has different meanings to
different people.
Armed Forces (ABRI) leaders, in welcoming every MPR session
over the past three decades, have said they are only successful
if held in a peaceful situation and an orderly manner. Tellingly,
they pay scant attention to the degree of democracy.
For the country's highest constitutional body, success should
surely be more than that. Members should first and foremost have
the freedom to speak because democracy means freedom of
expression. Absence of freedom can be manifested in various
manners and degrees.
The most crucial topics the Special Session will discuss
include the end of ABRI's sociopolitical function and the alleged
corruption of Soeharto and his cronies.
The special character of today's MPR session is that is
overshadowed by the presence of so many newly established
political groupings. These aspire to channel their aspirations
but, due to the old system still at work, do not have a chance to
be heard by the MPR members.
Students and various reform-minded people have tried to get
their message across recently. These very products of social
change find themselves up against MPR members elected unfairly as
the people's representatives. The problem is how to remove the
wall of insensitivity and the formidable ghosts of an entrenched
authoritarian mentality which stands between them.
New parties have proliferated thanks to the new openness. They
now have the opportunity to voice their opinions which were
suppressed under Soeharto's iron rule. Some of them are difficult
to hear because they augur national disunity, but seeking to
silence them would be to turn the clock back to a darker period
in our history.
We should not be very shocked today at the rebirth of the
idea of Islamic politics, the sense of nationalism and the trend
of open political parties which discard religious, racial and
ethnic barriers.
ABRI, which has said that what is best for the people is best
for it, is expected to support all the ideas, however distasteful
they may sound to its leadership. We believe this is vital
because ABRI was used for decades by Soeharto to assure his grasp
on power; it was granted its special political status to this
end. Success can also have different meanings at different times
for the military.
Since this MPR session is the first after the country was
freed from the yoke of authoritarianism, it is a fundamental duty
of the MPR members to channel the people's aspirations. They
should be able to decide what the nation needs as it makes its
historic steps toward a new era.
ABRI has an important role to play in supporting this noble
objective. Its contribution is much greater than preparing 15
warships (it is unclear who they are fighting against) and
mobilizing 125,000 "voluntary" civilian guards to fend off
students crying for reform.