The silver lining of Akbar's acquittal
The silver lining of Akbar's acquittal
Wimar Witoelar, Head, InterMatrix Communications, Jakarta
The main message conveyed by the Supreme Court's decision on
Akbar Tandjung is that crime pays in today's Indonesia ... as
long as you have common interests with those who hold political
power. The verdict effectively legitimizes corruption as an
accessory of power.
"So what else is new?" the cynic might ask. Only the naive
were hoping that the court would present itself as a profile in
courage. Apparently that was just a romantic notion.
We do not know whether there will be a tumultuous public
reaction. Probably not. Jakarta is flooded and congested and
people have all their own daily irritations that block out long-
range problems.
What about the impact on the elections? There will not be
much. There are no new dynamics because most political analysts
have already factored in an Akbar Tandjung release into the
equation. We do know that Akbar's Houdini act is very convenient
for Megawati Soekarnoputri. Akbar, although free, will be a
severely weakened candidate. Yet Golkar will not replace him with
a stronger rival to compete against Megawati, because he has
proven to be a cat with nine lives, credentials which give a
politician unshakable power.
What about the corruption case itself? Akbar Tandjung was
found guilty in September 2002 of diverting nearly US$4.8 million
of state funds intended for a relief program. The money ended up
in the Golkar party coffers, the prosecution said. The question
is: Was then president B.J. Habibie the culprit, whom Akbar
accused of giving the orders, or was then state secretary Akbar
Tandjung the guilty one, as Habibie and his loyalists testified
in court? Somebody must be guilty. Yet now everybody is running
around free.
But as an inveterate optimist I see a silver lining. Now there
is nowhere to go but up. The reform that has stalled has now
clearly stopped. Like being on a train to Bandung which grinds
slower and slower until it finally just comes to a dead stop. At
least you can get off and breathe some mountain air.
It should now be easier to give people wake-up calls and
remind them of the urgency to do something. It is not so clear
how many people are left who have not given up on reform. But at
least the lines become more clearly delineated between those in
favor of old-style politics and those in favor of a rejuvenation
of the system.
The court's decision likely squashed the presidential
prospects of other shady figures. At least one who is facing
prosecution war crimes, and several other people whose old-style
autocratic style appeals to victims of Stockholm syndrome
nostalgia.
In conclusion, although it is extremely difficult to find
positive angles in this latest political drama, there is actually
one big positive, so big that many fail to see it.
Indonesia has transformed itself significantly since 1998
despite the bankruptcy (morally, certainly not financially) of
the political leaders. The people have risen up and executed
fundamental reforms with the sheer power of their will. First and
foremost, democracy and freedom of the press. Articles such as
this appear all over the place. It used to be that we had to
whisper in dark corners when you wanted to criticize the
Indonesian leadership. Now you do it at the gates of the
Presidential Palace and the Supreme Court and the national
legislature. My friend asks, "What for? What good is democracy if
it does not make you wealthy?"
Which reminds me of a person with a lung ailment. He must
force in each breath, even though it is excruciatingly painful,
but if he succumbs to the pain and quits breathing before doctors
can fix him up, he dies very quickly. And that is not really an
option. Democracy also hurts, but democracy is a necessity, not
an option. And now we have to make full use of it to overrule all
the cynical, politically driven judicial, executive and
legislative rulings. It should be easier now without the
illusions.
InterMatrix Communications is a Jakarta-based consulting firm.