Susilo's win good for democracy

The Nation, Asia News Network, Bangkok

The expected landslide victory of former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Indonesia is significant for two reasons: First, it shows that despite myriad problems afflicting the world's most populous Muslim country, democracy is working well. Second, the new leader may well put Indonesia back on track as a key player within ASEAN. Democracy in Indonesia since the downfall of President Soeharto has been erratic, facing numerous stumbling blocks.

Over the past seven years, each of the four presidents who has in rapid succession taken a turn at the helm has been either dysfunctional or incompetent. The latest president, Megawati Soekarnoputri, was one of the worst. During her three and a half years in power, she failed to bring prosperity, stability or security to Indonesia. The country's economic development has been abysmal, which should not surprise anyone, as corruption in Indonesia is perceived to have increased under her leadership.

Meanwhile, the existence of militant Muslim groups, some of which include known terrorists as members, has been tolerated. These groups have arguably been allowed to thrive. Under her indecisive leadership, terrorists proceeded to wreak havoc on Indonesia's national security by launching devastating bombing attacks in Bali and in the capital city.

Worse, the lack of understanding of the act of governance that she displayed during the recent TV debates was appalling. Many pundits are saying her TV appearances and naivety were the biggest factors contributing to her resounding defeat at the polls.

With Susilo, a former security minister, as president, Indonesia's national security and political stability will be greatly enhanced. As the country's first popularly elected leader -- who enters office on the wave of a very large margin in terms of votes -- he has a full mandate to shape up this traditionally moderate Muslim nation.

His rise to power also augurs well for the trend that is already evident in Malaysia, another moderate Muslim nation, which is blazing new ground under a kinder, gentler leadership and policies that are more responsive to people's needs and aspirations, all the while maintaining a hard-line approach against terrorism.

If Susilo does it right and achieves a similarly delicate balance with his own leadership style, Indonesia will be on its way to becoming a showcase for the world of how the Muslim countries of Southeast Asia are able to accommodate democracy, raise their people's standard of living, compete successfully in a borderless world, be good citizens of the world and yet remain faithful to Islam.

Such a feat remains elusive in most other Muslim countries. Indeed, Indonesia's success in democratization has the potential of being able to shift the Islamic world's center of gravity away from the Middle East. Southeast Asian Muslim countries demonstrate in a convincing way that modernity, democracy and Islam are not mutually exclusive.

Certainly, it will not be easy for Susilo to overcome all the stumbling blocks that have kept Indonesia from realizing its full potential. The threat represented by the regional terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah must not be underestimated. During his campaign, Susilo showed a good grasp of the situation and pledged to step up measures to combat terrorism. Tough actions from Indonesia against terrorism are indispensable if any sort of region-wide cooperative effort to fight Islamic militants is to succeed.

As one of the major members of ASEAN, it is crucial that Indonesia take a leading role within the regional grouping. When ASEAN was first established, it was used as a tool to engage the region's largest country in the region's affairs. This concept has not changed.

Since the collapse of the dictatorship and the dawning of democracy in 1998, Indonesia has kept to itself as a result of the domestic turmoil that continues to cause uncertainty there. The country has not lived up to ASEAN's expectations and has failed to provide much of the active participation that is so badly needed. At the upcoming ASEAN summit in Vientiane in November, one hopes to see a different Indonesia on display, taking pride of place among ASEAN countries.

As host of the previous ASEAN summit in Bali last year, Indonesia failed to impress its ASEAN colleagues by advocating a new bolder vision for the grouping. As a result, several good initiatives that have the potential to turn ASEAN into a more vibrant grouping, with closer cooperation among its members, were pushed aside.

A democratic and stable Indonesia will be a boon for the region and the world. It is imperative that the international community do its utmost to ensure that Indonesia not only weathers the storm ahead, but succeeds in its challenging march towards democracy.