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New Leadership Strengthens Indonesian Democracy
By Kazi Mahmood
31/07/2001
Indonesian politics vacillated between autocratic rule and democracy in July, and it is with a sigh of relief that 220 million people within the largest Muslim nation have accepted the removal of incumbent Abdurrahman Wahid from power.
Did democracy win with the silent and bloodless coup? The Special Session by the People's Consultative Council (MPR), also known as the Parliament (and the highest elected executive body), gave its answer to that question and proved itself the only alternative for the survival of democracy in Indonesia.
The events at the end of July confirmed that the reformasi (reform) movement is still in good hands, and that democracy will progress in the vast archipelago.
New president, Megawati Sukarnoputri and Vice President Hamza Haz are both pro-democratic and represent a fine balance of power between the Islamic majority and the more stable and powerful Indonesian political establishment.
Megawati represents the establishment; the old school of thought that coalesced with the army to run the country during General Suharto's time. She is the product of "the favorite son", the war hero of Indonesia, and the father of independence, Ahmad Sukarno.
Sukarno was never a dictator, but neither was he overtly democratic. He believed in a controlled democracy and led his nation to a semblance of prosperity that forced the world to respect the Indonesian people. His daughter, Megawati Sukarnoputri, is molded after him and her political priorities show that she will definitely follow in the footsteps of her father. However, she does not intend to make the same mistakes her father did 35 years ago.
When in power, Sukarno promised the pro-Islamic provinces of Riau and Aceh that the country would become an Islamic Republic. But, he failed to deliver these promises for several reasons.
One of them was that he, himself, was not a member of the Islamic ulama (Islamic scholars). And what he saw during his reign, which came after the success of Attaturkism in Turkey, may have deterred him away from carrying out the promise. Today, the nation is torn apart by the war in Aceh.
Turning to the possibility that Megawati may allow more room for Islam, she clearly gave orders to party members to vote for Hamza Haz, the Islamic leader, for the office of vice president. In this way, she has committed herself to working with the growing Islamic movement in Indonesia.
The Islamist movement in the country, for its part, gained an upper hand in several sectors - including the army and police - under the brief rule of former president B.J. Habibie. The opening up of these sectors to people who had a strong Islamic credence made it difficult for the establishment in Indonesia to do without the Islamic movement.
Hence, the importance of having Haz, of the United Development Party (PPP), as vice president. Haz, himself, has signified his intentions of keeping in touch with the people by making himself accessible to them, and is currently working on a team of communicators whose job it will be to keep in touch with the public in general. He also intends to reinforce the role of Islamic leaders in the country in order to clear the mess left by Wahid.
Megawati is close to the army and is in a stronger position to push her ideas ahead, both within the MPR and through the army altogether. With the support of both Hamza Haz and Amien Rais, the vibrant and popular speaker of the MPR, Megawati looks set to rule with a stronger hand than Wahid.
Criticized for past alleged anti-Islamic comments on certain occasions, the President presently looks firm in her commitment to defending democracy at all costs. She knows well that Rais, who has risen to become the guardian of democracy, would not allow any trampling of democratic principles.
She has no reason to dismiss democracy and turn the country into a banana republic with army generals sharing power and money and controlling the country with iron fists; which the President knows, would lead to further corruption and abuses of power. Indications are that she will not fall into such an anachronism. Her first speech addressed to government officials and governors across Indonesia set the tone. She warned them of reprisals and of a strong fisted policy if they should become involved in corrupt practices or abuses of power.
She also has no reason to place curbs on press freedom, despite rumors and fears that she might impose a series of laws and limitations on the press during her reign. Observers contacted in Jakarta said they believe the President will regulate the press rather than curb it; freedom of the press was acquired after much sacrifice on the part of journalists. The press, in its current form, is free to such an extent that sex and vulgarities are printed extensively all over the country.
Megawati is the mother of three children and is a conservative lady forced to struggle for her family's political survival after Suharto hijacked her father's party.
Her resistance to Suharto brought her fame and the presidency. Her sacrifice as a mother will surely not be lost after her ascent to the presidency. If she decides to curb the limitless press freedom, it would surely be to prevent anarchy in the press, IslamOnline was told.
Additionally, it will be interesting to see how Megawati and Haz will deal with rising calls for independence in the vastly Muslim-dominated archipelago. Megawati is known for her nationalism - another set of qualities she earned from her beloved father. But, she will have to deal with independence issues which preceding administrations found difficult to handle.
For instance, Habibie's decision to allow the referendum in East Timor in 1998 did not help Wahid in attempting to prevent further bloodshed; or demands for independence in various other provinces. Megawati has an uphill battle at hand and temptations to make use of the army to quell uprisings in restive provinces such as Irian Jaya, Aceh and even Maluku, are great.
Yet, it is uncertain whether Megawati will risk "sinking" her presidency in a war of attrition in Aceh or Irian Jaya - let alone in Kalimantan, where ethnic violence and the murder of hundreds of Muslims have left the country raging.
People close to Megawati said she believes in a strong economy and a controlled army (of which the president is also the commander in chief) that would respond to civilian calls could be the solution for many of Indonesia's problems.
For example, Megawati will surely send a different task force to deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), while she may probably pull out the KOSTAD, or commando force, from the province.
Reformist politicians may also urge her to bring the GAM to the negotiation table and dialogue with them on favorable terms and conditions for both parties. This is still possible, sources Jakarta said, despite the total refusal of the GAM to consider anything but independence for Aceh - which will appear in an interview on IslamOnline in the near future.
Zaini Abdullah, of the GAM, told IslamOnline that the Java-based administration has committed too many atrocities in the province for the people of Aceh to accept "favorable terms and conditions" from the central administration.
He altogether dismissed claims that the election of Megawati to the presidency may be the chance for a peaceful solution in Aceh. Peace efforts, however, will continue, and IslamOnline has information that negotiations will proceed under Megawati.
On the other hand, the entire democratic process in Indonesia now rests on the shoulders of a single person who also has presidential ambitions.
Amien Rais, leader of the National Mandate Party (PAN), a principled politician who accepts compromising when it is necessary, may have reached his political "maturity" and could be a serious contender for the presidency in the near future. It is thanks to his contribution in bringing down Wahid that Megawati has become the leader of the nation. The latter will surely be grateful to Rais, the man who patched the different parties in the MPR together into a united force to oust Wahid.
Rais rose to the occasion and is today the icon of democracy in a country still searching for a leader that could bring hope to the entire nation. Is Rais that person? It is still too early to say.
However, his turning of the PAN from a secular to an Islamic movement, and his leadership of the Muslim Axis group in parliament, puts him in the limelight. Rais has gained importance in local politics, and his opponents will be surprised at how fast his popularity will rocket in the coming months.
Rais, who earned a doctorate in politics from the University of Chicago, is a skilled orator - something that has contributed to his high media profile. And with Rais, Indonesia now has a champion for democracy to whom it will turn if crisis surges within the country again.
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