Threat to Megawati's legacy
Regardless of the recent election outcome, Indonesian President Megawati Soekarnoputri was bound to go down in the history books as the leader who did more than any other to consolidate democracy in the country. This would have been a great accomplishment, and a surprising development for a country that has only recently emerged from decades of strongman rule under Soeharto and his Golkar party.
In this year alone, Indonesia saw three of the most complicated and successful elections taking place anywhere. First came the April elections, which gave 147 million voters the chance to choose from 450,000 candidates at national, regional and local levels. Six hundred million ballot papers were distributed to 585,000 polling places. The July presidential election and September runoff involved similar voter numbers and logistical challenges.
The praise that came Megawatis way for overseeing all of this was well-deserved, but perhaps a little premature. Her democratic legacy will be judged as much by the smooth elections as by what she chooses to do next.
It has been days since the independent electoral commission declared Megawatis challenger, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the winner by a margin of 25 million votes. Megawati has all but conceded defeat, with her latest statements referring neither to herself nor Susilo, only to the need for respecting poll results.
The lack of an outright admission of defeat will not derail Susilo's swearing in on Oct.20, but it does mean that he will become president under a cloud. He is unwilling to make a victory speech until Ms Megawati concedes. Will a man who will not declare victory also hesitate to name a cabinet? It is a question that should not have to be contemplated but does come up so long as the concession remains unexpressed.
Susilo, having won by a landslide, will come into office with a mandate to make changes. Now that the independent election commission has declared him the winner, Megawati gains very little by delaying. She does, however, jeopardise Susilo's chances of success in these areas and her legacy at the same time.
-- South China Morning Post, Hong Kong