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.