The Assembly's agenda
The suggestion made last Monday by Indonesian Military (TNI) deputy chief Adm. Widodo that the upcoming General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly, which will elect the country's next president, be postponed, makes one wonder what is going on in the back of the admiral's mind. This is all the more true since the repeatedly denied rumors that TNI Commander Gen. Wiranto is planning to retire early next month so he can run for the presidency have refused to die. While the two may in fact be in no way connected, when it comes to the military, speculation is always tempting.
Whatever the case may be, given the never-ending economic and political crises that continue to stranglehold the nation, it would seem fairly obvious that the most expedient course of action would be to move forward the General Session, now scheduled for November. That would allow for the speedy formation of a new government -- something which major international aid organizations, including the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, appear to be waiting for before resuming aid to Indonesia.
The TNI's deputy commander offered an argument to justify his suggestion. Widodo said the current situation was not conducive for holding the General Session. To be fair, it is sensible to expect that some serious obstacles could prevent such a politically loaded event from proceeding with any semblance of smoothness.
The endless bickering among the country's newly emerged political elite is, as Adm. Widodo pointed out, a portentous indication that this nation may indeed not be ready to play by the rules of democracy. Also, the widespread public dissatisfaction over the way the government is handling the Bank Bali scandal, the violence in East Timor and the religious and secessionist flare-ups in several regions, provides for a highly combustible political mix that can give rise to protests, as well as diminishing the government's and the military's capability to effectively cope with such emergencies.
Yet, paradoxically, it is precisely this crisis situation that makes it essential to form as quickly as possible an effective administration capable of leading this nation out of its complex labyrinth of problems. Under the 1945 Constitution, this means holding a General Session of the Assembly at the earliest possible time. If, for practical and technical reasons, moving the General Session forward is not possible, every effort must be made to ensure that at the least, it will not be delayed.
For the most part, this means that political party and government representatives on the General Elections Commission must leave behind their petty bickering and begin to think earnestly about helping the nation pull itself out of its present plight. The longer the current transitional government of President Habibie remains in power, the greater this nation's problems are likely to grow.