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Show The Salt Lake Tribune OPINION AAS Sunday, June 20, 1999 Indonesia Faces Another Daunting Task: Making Its New Democracy Work BY CURT SMITH and HERBERT LONDON FOR THE BRIDGE NEWS If they are able to work togeth- er, and thereare signsofthis occurring, the military will likely The dawning of a new erafol- lows Indonesia'sfirst free election in over 40 years: The overarching question is the pace with which democratic reforms will now unfold in the country. The answerto this question is vitally important to the United States and SoutheastAsia, as this economically troubled region watches its most populous nation take halting steps forward. The answeris also critical for the long-suffering Indonesian people. Butit’s also ofcritical impor- tance to the world,as it watches to see if a moderate, Muslim majority nation can create and then sustain vibrant democracy in a diverse and populous country. Thestory will likely be told by twoindicators, one short-term and the other long-term. The short- term indicator is the selection of the nation’s next president, which will occur in November. The long-term indicator is the creation and rooting of enduring democratic impulses andinstitutions that will transport Indonesia awayfrom thecorruption that has been the country’s hallmarksince the collapse of colonialism at the end of World WarII. Choosing a president — even when the results of the June 7 electionsare revealed following a laborious manual count of 112 million ballots — will be exceed- ingly difficult for Indonesia's leadership. The election selected only 462 (two-thirds) of the representatives whowill elect a presidentthisfall. Joining those 462 elected party leaders will be 38 from the mili- tary, five from each of Indonesia's 27 provinces and65 from so-called designated groups (assorted professions, women's groups, the dis- abled andsoforth). Indonesia’s confusing method of selecting electors makes the presidential outcome difficult both to influenceandpredict. But whentheseatsareselected and the vote count is known,it's safe to say that three key leaders will havethefirst opportunity to cre- ate a coalition and elect a new president. backthe resulting grouping. These three leaders share popular support from key Indonesian constituencies, both demographic and geographic. But more impor- tant, they sharea vision of a secular nation informed but not bound bythetenets of the Muslim faith. The leader likely to emerge with the strongest party showing is Megawati Sukarnoputri, the daughter of Indonesia’s founding president, Sukarno. In a nation wherehalf the population is under age 25, many have forgotten that his regime, too, suffered from corruption, violence, suppression and ended after he allegedly aided an attempted Communist coup in 1965. Megawati, a 52-year-old with little formal education and no prior experience as an officeholder or government official, captured strong support from many urbanIndonesians. Shealso winscredit from some Western observers for surround- educated Indonesians. Rais for- Indonesia have grand expecta- merly headed Muhammadiyah, the nation’s second-largest Mus- tionsfor the future. Whether those lim association, with 23 million members, giving him a formidable political base. The interplay among these three leaderswill be the most im- ing Countries. this nation of 220 million, the world’s fourth-most populous nation. The Parliament mustestablish its legitimacy working with the presidency and begin to exercise influence over the government purse strings. Should this occur, the speaker of Parliament would assume a very powerfulrole, creating a second position of influ- ence in government. In this processofcreating dem- @ Monotheism, which must Her new role in government cometo embodyreli;igious freedom genderissueis handled will speak and freedom of conscience. @ Humanitarianism, which Megawati’s two potential moderate Muslim political allies are also potential candidates for pres- ident. Abdulrahmana Wahid headsthe nation’s largest Islamic association, Nahdlatul Ulama. should be understood by Indonesia's newleadership to include freedom of speech, press and association. Nationalism, which Indonesia mustallow to evolve into a gions autonomy. @ Popular sovereignty, which must become the basis for codify- ics and separation of government and religion. He might be considered the presidential front-runner of Parliament and president and ifhedid notsuffer from near-total blindness. The third partner in thisalliance, and easily the most person: ally ambitious, is Amien Rais, who holds a doctorate from the University of Chicago and is a favorite among intellectuals and retirement. My family taught me the valueof a dollar. But mysafety’s worth it. I've waited long enough. It’s a prettyclear choice. “America’s Clear Choice for Wireless" federal system giving diverse re- Heis especially appealing to the nation’s largely ethnic Chinese business community because of his embrace of market econom- what are you waiting for? Cooperation, compromise and coalition building are what Indonesia needs to meetits challenge of rooting democracy and freedom in rely on the five principles of the state’s ideology, Pancasila: volumes about the pace of democratic reform in Indonesia. Institute, was anofficial observer during Indonesia's elections. Herbert London, John M. Olin profes: sor of humanities at New York University and Hudson's president, joined Smith in Indonesia at the outsetof the election campaign. ganization of Petroleum Export- not condone a woman’sserving as and the deftness with whichthis called forth by extraordinary circumstances. Perhapsthis is such a time in Indonesia. If not, dictatorial influence mayresultin a repetition of the policies of the past. and the larcenythat accompanied them. a Curt Smith, chiefoperating of: ficer of Indianapolis-based Hudson resource-rich memberof the Or- ocratic institutions Indonesia can the nation’s chief executive. in theair. Leadership, however, is often portant indicator of Indonesia's inchoate democracy. Compromise will be especially hard, since both de facto and de jure power reside with the presidency. The presidency solely determines noless than 60 percent of the budget of this natural ing herself with talented advisers, though others cautionsheis easily influenced andhas little to offer as a leader “beyond political popularity. Some doubt she will emergeas the president, because manyleadingIslamicclerics will expectations can be realized is up ing in law andpractice theideas of free elections, the direct election “one man,onevote.” Social justice, which must cometo meantheruleof lawasthe basis for Western-style progress and prosperity. Converting these principles into practicewill be the litmus test for Indonesia's experiment with democracy. The people of AT&T Digital One Rate Available! 119.99/month for 1400 min. anytime & 1000 min.off peak" a minute’ WE DELIVER! SANDY FT. UNION 801-984-8888 801-816-9999 65 West 10600 South (on the Southwest corner of State and 10600) 854 E.Ft. Union Bivd. 218 E. University Pkwy. (next to Morris Golf) (by Hoppers) SALT. 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