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Wednesday, Oct 06, 2004

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MR. INDONESIA

SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO was confirmed the winner of Indonesia's long-drawn presidential election after the counting of votes was completed in all parts of the vast archipelago. Mr. Yudhoyono crossed the last hurdle on his way to becoming the sixth President when the incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri asked her supporters to accept the verdict. While Mr. Yudhoyono won over 60 per cent of the vote to Ms. Megawati's 38 per cent, he observed decorum and waited for his rival's concession speech. The smoothness of the transition is significant for two reasons: this is the first time Indonesia has voted directly to elect a President; secondly, the popular mandate for Mr. Yudhoyono is overwhelming, surpassing all predictions. By denying Ms. Megawati's party, the Indonesia Democratic Party-Struggle (PDP-I), a victory in the parliamentary elections earlier this year, voters indicated their desire for a change in leadership. But although Mr. Yudhoyono led Ms. Megawati in the first round of voting in the presidential election, none of the three candidates — General Wiranto of Golkar was the third contender — could secure more than 50 per cent of the vote and this necessitated the second round run-off between the top two. The people of Indonesia have made a clear and emphatic choice.

Can Mr. Yudhoyono, who was a member of Ms. Megawati's Cabinet until recently, live up to expectations? The presidential contest was essentially about personalities, not policies. But several challenges will test the governance skills of the new President and his political abilities. Among the reasons for Ms. Megawati's defeat were her inability to pull Indonesia's economy together — the country is yet to recover fully from the 1997 South-East Asia economic meltdown — and her failure to arrest widespread corruption and rising unemployment. The recent suicide bombings outside the Australian Embassy in Jakarta demonstrated that the renewed challenge of terrorism would demand Mr. Yudhoyono's attention. In this, his task will be no different from the one his predecessor faced: to track down terrorist networks in the world's largest Muslim country without being branded a stooge of the United States, more specifically of the Bush administration, in what is perceived by most Indonesians as "a war against Islam." The former General's policy on the simmering separatist struggle in the province of Aceh will also be crucial for the future of a loosely knit nation of different ethnicities and languages. But first and foremost, Mr. Yudhoyono has the task of bringing the lower house of parliament, where his Democratic Party has just 10 per cent of the seats, under his control. His massive mandate should help.

Governing a democratic country is never easy and Mr. Yudhoyono knows he must deliver. He will be held accountable by a people who expect a great deal. Indonesia can justly take pride in setting up its first genuinely democratic government, with both Parliament and President elected by the people. This has come seven years after General Suharto, the brutal and corrupt dictator who ruled Indonesia for three decades, was dethroned by popular protests. The outgoing President, who was one of the main leaders in the movement that led to the ouster of Suharto, did not quite live up to the expectations of the people. Nonetheless, as she leaves office, Ms. Megawati must be given a fair share of credit for consolidating Indonesia's democratic reforms and for ensuring the smooth conduct of the elections. Her comprehensive defeat and acceptance of it can, in fact, be regarded as her democratic vindication.

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