To be or not to be

The dilemma that faces so many House members with regard to whether they should sign the petition that supports the suspension of Akbar Tangjung is not as difficult as is made out. Lets face it, the fear of upsetting functional group (Golkar) does not say very much for the stability of the other political parties, nor does it say very much for the intelligence of Golkar members.

When the writing was on the wall in late 1999, the decision not to accept the Habibie accountability speech was not only sensible, it was absolutely necessary. Habibie would have known that, and maybe prior to all this, the decision had already been made to buy the air-line ticket to Germany.

A somewhat similar situation now faces Akbar Tandjung, who himself was shrewd enough back in 1999 to recognize Golkar's precarious position. His openness to be one of the first to advocate the demise of Habibie, at least goes to show that he is able to steer the ship into quieter waters, and thus survive.

Party political survival in 1999 was therefore considered far more important than one individual, even if that person just happened to be the incumbent president. So history repeats itself somewhat, although now the shoe is firmly on the other foot.

There is no escape from this stranglehold, no possible way that Akbar can wriggle free and continue (he knows that) just like Habibie did. The alternative, which is to ignore the obvious, can only lead Golkar back into stormy waters and those waves could well be a lot more daunting than those that the House members would likely face should Akbar concede and do the honorable thing.

Are they trying to say that Golkar is a one-man party, a political force that is unable to respond sensibly to the inevitable. Do they want to drag politics down even further in a senseless in-house battle about one individual, when they, as responsible legislators, know only too well that this country needs stability above all else. Common sense can be easily found anywhere on the streets of Indonesia, but is anyone inside the House willing to listen?

DAVID WALLIS

Medan, North Sumatra