Yogyakarta's spirit could be model for the nation

Yogyakarta's spirit could be model for the nation

Kornelius Purba, Staff Writer, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta,
korpur@yahoo.com

Visitors to Yogyakarta will soon sense election fever in the
province. Along the famed Jl. Malioboro you will see innumerous
street banners put up by various groups, including placards from
the Community of Parking Attendants in Yogyakarta and one group
called Yogyakarta Native Residents.

The placards express the demand that the provincial
legislative council (DPRD) appoint, not elect, Sultan
Hamengkubuwono X and Paku Alam IX as governor and vice governor
for the 2003-2008 term. Although all factions have vowed to elect
the pair in October, there are still many people who want their
rulers to be appointed directly for another term.

The 57-year-old sultan has been in his post since October
1998, or 10 years after death of his father, the venerable Sultan
Hamengkubowono IX. Then president B.J. Habibie approved his
appointment, after the DPRD had unanimously voted the sultan into
office as governor but the government's perceived reluctance to
approve his appointment had upset people.

Prior to Habibie's approval of the appointment, about 100,000
locals gathered to install the sultan -- whom they often refer to
as Ngarso Dalem -- as governor.

The purpose of this article is not to debate the issue of the
sultan's appointment or to discuss Javanese feudalism, but to
describe the respect the people of Yogyakarta have for their
leader, a very rare phenomenon in Indonesia today.

While Yogyakartans are focused on the gubernatorial issue, at
the national level political parties are busily searching for, or
pretending to find, the best candidates for next year's direct
presidential election. Major political parties, and even parties
that are still unregistered, have announced their possible
candidates.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
is firm in nominating its boss, Megawati Soekarnoputri. The
United Development Party (PPP) is very likely to tap party chief
and Vice President Hamzah Haz, and the National Awakening Party
(PAN) realizes this will likely be the last chance for party
chairman Amien Rais to grab the presidential seat.

Golkar executives have kicked around several names, including
former Soeharto's adjutant Gen. (ret) Wiranto, Muslim scholar
Nurcholish Madjid and chief security minister Gen. (ret) Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono. Many believe, however, that deep in his heart
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung believes he is the only person who
deserves the nomination, despite the fact that he has been
convicted on corruption charges and is only walking around free
while awaiting a decision on his appeal.

Many people can only chuckle at the determination of the
National Awakening Party (PKB) to nominate former president
Abdurrahman Wahid, given that he already had his chance.

But do any of these people have the sultan's charisma on a
national level? I am sorry to say, but none of these potential
presidential candidates have such magnetism.

How about Megawati? In the 1999 general election, the main
reason her party won the election was because she appeared to be
the perfect symbol for the innocent victims of the Soeharto
regime. Next year she will no longer be able to benefit from such
perceptions, or from the name of her father, founding president
Sukarno. Her younger sister Rachmawati Soekarnoputri is also
eying a slice of the power cake.

Megawati must defend to voters her three-year presidency and
everything she has done and failed to do during this time. She
must explain, among other things, why she supported the
reelection of Lt. Gen. (ret) Sutiyoso as Jakarta governor, even
though she knows very well that Sutiyoso is also allegedly
responsible to the July 27, 1996, incident in which dozens of her
supporters either died or disappeared.

She will also have to face questions about how the
administration has handled large corruption cases and gross human
rights violations, while the people responsible for the country's
economic downfall continue to walk around freely. Legislators
from PDI Perjuangan are among those alleged to have enriched
themselves.

How about Amien Rais? No one doubts his clean image and the
major role he played during the process of Soeharto's downfall in
1998. He is a highly respected politician and he is also
supported by the Muslim organization Muhammadiyah. But others may
say he is clean only because he has yet to enjoy any real power.

People need a figure whom they can trust as a true protector,
but unfortunately we have yet to find such a person. Most of the
candidates only criticize the current government, but have yet to
convince people that they are better than Megawati.

People are now busier gossiping about the businesspeople or
conglomerates behind the potential presidential candidates, about
their family's business interests and about the possibility of
their continuing the tradition of corruption among high
officials.

Residents of Yogyakarta are lucky to have a charismatic and
proven leader. We hope that millions of people -- because of
their conscience and not because of dirty political practices --
will get the chance to vote for a person they believe has the
ability to lead Indonesia and redeem it in the eyes of the world
community. But again, this is likely just a dream.