---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ++ Pemilu Online: http://www.indo-news.com/pemilu/ ++ ---------------------------------------------------------- South China Morning Post, Wednesday, June 9, 1999 EDITORIAL Democratic example For months, many in Indonesia - and throughout Asia - had been looking with some foreboding towards the nation's first free elections in more than four decades. After the rioting that brought down former president Suharto last year, there were fears that the polls on Monday would provoke similar bloodshed. Thousands of ethnic Chinese fled to Singapore during the campaign. A special army unit was formed to cope with the expected election violence. There were dire warnings of the economic effects of any fresh upheaval. As was shown by the unrest last year, trouble in Indonesia can have an impact far away, even worsening the SAR's recession. In the event, such fears have proved groundless - at least for now. The election campaign passed largely without incident. So did the polling on Monday. Instead, there was an almost carnival atmosphere in many parts of the country as voters flocked to the ballot box to exercise their new-found right to decide who they want to run their country. Far from inflicting further economic damage, the unexpectedly peaceful polls sent the Jakarta stock market soaring yesterday to levels not seen since the start of the financial crisis almost two years ago. The rupiah also rose, and the International Monetary Fund played its part by releasing a further tranche of its bailout package. Such confidence may yet prove premature. Although it appears to be on the road to recovery, the economy remains fragile. The threat of political instability also lies ahead in the run-up to the presidential election in November. Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle appears to have performed impressively, according to the votes counted so far. But, if she wants to become president, Ms Megawati will have to start setting out her policies - something she has conspicuously failed to do so far. With so much of her support coming only from the fact that she is the daughter of late president Sukarno, there is a serious prospect of her being found wanting as a leader as the prospect of real power looms closer. In any case, despite coming in ahead of its rivals, her party will still fall short of commanding a majority in the 700- member electoral assembly. That means it will have to strike agreements with other opposition groups, such as Muslim leader Abdurrahman Wahid's National Awakening Party which looks set to take the runner-up position. But experience during the election campaign offers little cause for optimism on this score, since the two parties had difficulty preserving even a temporary tactical alliance. As November looms closer, the different opposition forces will have increasing cause for discord, due to the conflicting ambitions of their leaders. Nor is it clear how they will work with President Bacharuddin Habibie. Despite the apparent humiliation in these elections of Mr Suharto's Golkar party, it would be wrong to write off the movement and its organisation. It still has enough votes to be a powerful force in whatever deals are struck among members of the new electoral assembly. There is also the wild card of the military. What role will it play under its powerful commander, General Wiranto, who has been repeatedly rumoured to have his own political ambitions? With 38 seats reserved for the army, the general could still emerge as a kingmaker. The military also still has a key role to play over Aceh and East Timor. The disruption of polling in these two provinces showed the continuing ethnic tensions which may continue to plague Indonesia in coming months. Despite all these obstacles, the huge nation has taken a historic step along the path towards democracy. It must be hoped that whatever difficulties may lie ahead can be peacefully resolved given sufficient goodwill on all sides. Authoritarian countries which insist that allowing democracy would provoke instability should learn from this experience. Indonesia could become a textbook example of how allowing people to choose their government can strengthen a country and put it on the road to a brighter and more prosperous future. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 12 Jun 1999 jam 11:56:04 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
