Where our nation is now

Where our nation is now

In its unwavering move to create a democratic government, this
nation on Wednesday elected a new speaker of the House of
Representatives. Elected as speaker was Akbar Tandjung, the
chairman of the country's second largest political party, Golkar.
He won a secret ballot with 411 votes.

His nearest rival, Soetarjo Soerjogoeritno of the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), garnered only 54
votes even though his party has the largest faction in the House.
Soetarjo and three other deputy speakers representing various
political groupings will assist Akbar.

Over the weekend, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR),
the country's highest constitutional body, elected Mohammad Amien
Rais, chairman of National Mandate Party (PAN) as its speaker.
Amien is flanked by five deputy speakers.

Many circles were upset by Akbar's victory. Many commented
that it was a further blow to PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati
Soekarnoputri, a leading contender in the upcoming presidential
election, who had earlier suffered a loss when Matori Abdul
Djalil of the National Awakening Party (PKB), whom she supported
for Assembly speaker, was defeated by Amien, who represented a
smaller party. Amien was reported later to have gained major
support from Golkar.

There were apparently backroom deals going on in which some
party had to sacrifice a position to another, while at the same
time another group was doing the same thing.

There is nothing illicit in such a deal as long as it is done
within a democratic framework and the right people are placed in
the right jobs. Amien, a university professor turned politician,
has been principally welcomed because, from his position, he has
the ability to promote democracy and political reform. And he
earned high respect when he became one of the first to step out
and aim sharp criticism at the despotic and avaricious rule of
president Soeharto.

Akbar has a less brighter record. He served as one of
Soeharto's Cabinet minister for 15 years before his fallen hero
was humiliated and forced to step aside by student demonstrations
in 1997. Many people then called for Golkar to be dismantled.

However, Akbar was later elected as Golkar chairman and
managed to turn Soeharto's former election machine into a viable
political party, fit enough to survive the turbulent social
changes. And beyond anybody's wild imagination, except perhaps
Akbar's and his colleagues', Golkar came in as runner-up in the
recent general election.

By any standards the party and its dormant and unemotional
chairman now deserve a place in Indonesia's political spectrum.

This kind of political forbearance can be understood if it is
placed within a larger dimension. The leading parties seemed to
have reached a compromise on how to create a new Indonesia and
save the people from another disastrous crisis.

To date they have shared some power among them. What they
still have to do is to elect the chairman of the State Advisory
Board (DPA), which in the past has been an august but toothless
body, the advice of which everybody loved to ignore.

There have been suggestions that the body should be abolished
because it has no place in a modern Indonesian state. But this
can only be done by amending the 1945 Constitution, which will be
done before too long.

Until then many considered Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, leader
of the Nahdlatul Ulama Muslim organization, would be a fitting
DPA chairman. If that eventuated, Gus Dur would surely have to
adapt his style to the job. In the past he has voiced a lot of
social and political criticism, some constructive, but more often
confusing. Perhaps he would be better suited to chair the DPA
after all, and forget about running for president. It would be
better for everyone if he were to leave the job of running the
country to a more capable, healthier person.

And now that the presidential election is drawing near,
people's faith in the MPR appears to be reawakening. What the
nation has achieved since the MPR first convened on Oct. 1 is a
greater step forward in the effort to put the right person at the
country's helm.

It is a matter of life and death for Indonesia in its march to
put itself in an honorable place in the world. This can only be
attained if Indonesians can rid themselves of the man who has
worsened the ruinous kleptocracy during the past 16 months.