Wanted: An effective opposition
Wanted: An effective opposition
Functional Group (Golkar) Party Chairman Akbar Tanjung stated
recently that "... the former ruling party will in the future
consider becoming an opposition party to provide Indonesia with a
more balanced political system" (The Jakarta Post, July 20,
2000). Akbar Tanjung should be encouraged to implement his idea
as soon as possible, because the absence of an effective
opposition in the legislature has nearly paralyzed efforts toward
democracy and reform. The creation of a national reconciliation
government that included all major political parties but left
none to play the part of the opposition, was certainly well
intended by President Abdurrahman Wahid, but it turned out to be
a failure.
Who does actually control this government of compromises? To
leave the difficult and demanding role of an effective opposition
to the media or to the students, for many reasons is not a
satisfactory solution.
The Indonesian press has shown admirable courage by serving as
an opposition during the last years of the New Order regime,
despite the lack of press freedom and the risk of losing their
publishing licenses. But times have changed since then. Apart
from those journalists who responded to press freedom with a
sense of responsibility, there are now many journalists who seem
not to be very devoted to the ethics of their profession, to put
it mildly.
The students, on the other hand, gave the world a shining
example of bravery when they fought for freedom and justice. But
it seems that after the downfall of Soeharto's New Order regime
most of the students have not realized that there is a big
difference between fighting a dictatorship and playing a
corrective role in a democratically elected government.
But even if students and the press, together with NGOs and so
called political observers, performed perfectly as an extra-
parliamentary opposition, they could never be a substitute for a
legitimate opposition within the legislature.
Golkar should not forget that they were for decades the
political vehicle of the Soeharto regime, which ignored the
interests of the people. Therefore, the party owes the people.
Golkar's first step to make up for past mistakes should be to
provide Indonesia with a badly needed opposition, holding the
government accountable and causing it to implement more rational
and consistent policy. This may contribute to political stability
which is the precondition for sustainable economic growth.
A legitimate opposition in the legislature is imperative for
upholding the values of democracy. Golkar would be well advised
to give up its position in the government and accept the
challenge to become an effective opposition. By doing so, Golkar
would render the country a great service.
MRS. HILDE MAY
Jakarta