Why the violence?

Before we go any further, this must be said: The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle attack -- or, to put it more accurately, the attack by hundreds of people wearing the familiar red-and-black attributes of PDI Perjuangan -- against visiting Golkar functionaries and local supporters in Purbalingga, Central Java, was an act of violence that cannot be condoned.

Hundreds of supporters, some already gathered and many still on their way to a local soccer stadium where Golkar was to hold a political education gathering, were harassed during the incident on Friday. Akbar Tanjung, the party's general chairman who is also minister/state secretary in President B.J. Habibie's Cabinet, was trapped in the melee. He escaped unharmed after his retinue was escorted from the scene by police personnel, although his van was damaged. A truck filled with Golkar security men was overturned and set ablaze by the mob.

But as bad as the stone-throwing, the willful destruction of property and the acts of vandalism were, much more deplorable was the act of forcing people, including women, to take off in public their yellow Golkar shirts and attributes. Little wonder that the incident caused an immediate public outcry that reverberated far beyond the borders of Purbalingga, something Golkar and other PDI Perjuangan antagonists were quick to exploit. To make matters worse for all concerned and not least for Golkar, dozens of trucks carrying Golkar supporters from Probolinggo, East Java, were stopped and the occupants harassed on their way to a rally in Surabaya on Sunday. Once again, the offenders were wearing PDI Perjuangan colors and attributes.

Upset and humiliated, Akbar Tanjung can hardly be blamed for calling the violence "inhumane and antidemocratic", and for stating that "some political parties" were "not ready for democracy". That said, it must be noted in the same breath that his reaction and that of his party to events of recent days was not much better.

In his speech at the rally in Surabaya, Akbar indicated to thousands who made it to the gathering that Golkar might retaliate in kind if pushed, although it preferred to pursue the legal course for the moment. "It is not that we are afraid. We love peace. Golkar loves unity. But if this (violence) continues, we shall rise. We shall rise against evil forces," he warned.

At this point, it is appropriate to remind Golkar of the wisdom of listening to critics, especially in the wake of the most recent incidents. A relevant question has been voiced by Abdurrahman Wahid, the respected leader of the Nahdlatul Ulama organization: Why has all the harassment been directed at Golkar only, and not at other parties? The answer which immediately comes to mind is that it is derived from the many grievances against Golkar -- a conspicuous pillar of the now generally reviled New Order regime -- which remain in our society.

And PDI Perjuangan for decades suffered agonizingly under the repressive policies of Soeharto's New Order, whose key policymakers -- without exception and including officers of the Armed Forces -- were Golkar cadres. Under the circumstances, it would seem that if Golkar expects PDI Perjuangan under Megawati Soekarnoputri to apologize for the recent incidents, then it would follow that the latter has the right to demand the same from Golkar for the New Order's repressive and partial policies of the past. Fair is fair.

True enough, Golkar has been endeavoring lately to convince the Indonesian public that it has repented, and that the "New Golkar" that exists today is as much a champion of democracy as any of the newly formed political parties contesting the upcoming general election.

Unfortunately, the party's claims have not been supported by actions. One example is its headstrong insistence on allowing Cabinet ministers to campaign. While such a practice may be common in established democracies, surely Golkar's leaders are well aware that doing so in a paternalistic, traditional society like Indonesia would give it an unfair advantage over other parties, especially with its three-decade-long stranglehold on the bureaucracy.

What all this amounts to is that the hope for a peaceful, fair and democratic general election seems to be moving further away from us even as the date of the polls nears. The best we can hope for under the circumstances is that the spirit of accord and unity that was born and demonstrated in Yogyakarta over the weekend in a "peace parade", organized jointly by some 30 political parties, may spread across the nation to assure a better tomorrow for present and future generations of Indonesians.