The voice of the people
Amid the news barrage of the past few days, a little lesson from far-away Central Kalimantan was easily overlooked. Last Wednesday, as newspapers here reported, Central Kalimantan's legislative council elected Warsito Rasman, a director-general in charge of regional autonomy at the Ministry of Home Affairs in Jakarta, to become governor of the province for the 1994-1999 period.
The fact that an official from Jakarta, sent over to put certain affairs in order, was elected governor of the province may indeed give reason for some surprise, more so considering the fact that he was chosen almost by acclamation: 39 of the council's 44 assembled members voted for Warsito; two other candidates managed only one vote each, while three votes were declared void. The losers in last week's gubernatorial election were Donis Singaraca, a former mayor of Palangka Raya, and Elieser Gerson, the regional administrative secretary of Central Kalimantan -- both local nominees.
What makes things even more interesting, however, is the fact that Warsito's nomination has apparently failed to satisfy at least a segment of the province's constituency, who would have preferred a native of the province as their chief administrator. According to newspaper accounts of the procedures, the voting was marred by protests outside the legislature, where groups of people attempted to block the entrances while unfurling banners proclaiming their demands. The Jakarta newspaper Kompas reported that many of the legislators appeared tense during the voting.
To better understand the situation, it may be helpful to keep in mind that last week's election was an outgrowth of the disorderly proceedings in the same place a while back. As may be recalled, a few months ago the gubernatorial elections in the Central Kalimantan legislature were aborted after commotion greeted the election of Karna Suwanda, a nominee backed by the central government in Jakarta, over popular local nominee H.A.D.J. Nihin.
Nihin's supporters at that time placed their hope in the ruling faction, Golkar, which controls 31 of the council's 45 seats. Nihin lost and people expressed their disappointment by demonstrating in the street. The protesters aired the belief that only a few Golkar members had supported their candidate and that some others had been bribed by "outside elements."
To make a rather long story short, in order to settle the crisis Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. decreed that a new election be held within six months, and the two candidates -- Karna Suwanda and Nihin -- withdrew from the running. Last week's election, then, was a direct result of that decision. Understandably, it must have been terribly disappointing for the supporters of the losing candidates that the proceeding turned out the way it did.
Leaving aside the aspect of principle, we find it difficult to dispute the logic of the home minister's argument. Since the voting in the provincial legislature turned out in favor of Warsito, the right thing for the people to do is to accept the outcome since the council's vote represents the wishes of the people, the minister was reported as saying.
Of course, one could always argue that the latter part of the minister's statement -- that the legislature unquestionably represents the voice of the people -- is debatable. But that is precisely where the lesson lies in this particular case. We think it is time that, in general elections, people take their voting more seriously and with a greater sense of responsibility, because once a vote is cast, one is bound by the decisions taken by the legislature. That may not be agreeable to everybody, but that is how the game is played.