---------------------------------------------------------- Visit Indonesia Daily News Online HomePage: http://www.indo-news.com/ Please Visit Our Sponsor http://www.indo-news.com/cgi-bin/ads1 ---------------------------------------------------------- SUPANGKAT'S COLUMN: NEW INDONESIAN POLITICS TAKING SHAPE There was almost a stand-off in Indonesian politics due to the fact that there was no majority winner. Coalition, a new political way of life seemed to be impossible if not improbable since their respective outlook rather than platforms were so wide apart and are showing too much incompatibities. And almost all of them are practically new kids on the bloc, even the Golkar politicians who were used to play a monopoly game of intimidation a la Suharto and his lackey Harmoko which recquire just a little bit if there was any at all to use the political skill. As a journalist and poltical observer I noticed a lot of amateurism sometimes amounting to a situation comedy. Alwi Shihab of the PKB for instance expres- sed his surprise at the election of Amien Rais as Chairman of the new MPR thanks to the support of the Golkar and even the PDI since all of them are some kind of archenemies. Of course Alwi is still an amateur politician and he proved himself to be as such, being ignorant of the political adagium that there is always "a strange bedfellow" in politics, and also "never say never in politics". Alwi as a Moslem, didn't even realize what he was saying when his coalition or support for the PDI eventually might have to be supplemented by taking "a second wife" by marrying either Golkar or PAN. He did not realize that what the PKB to the PDI is not a relationship between husband and wife, it is much more as a wife to husband, the PDI being the husband as the number one winner of the election. So Alwi proposed to practise Polyandry which is a great sin in Islam being the tradition of the pre-Islam "Jahiliyah"................. On the other hand Amien began to prove himself to be more a politician than a poltical scientist by outmaneuvering his opponents and managed to be the powerful Chairman of the new MPR. Non politicians condemned him of his duplicity which is not a sin at all in politics. Now the central axle coalition demanded evenmore: they want the Presidency! This seemed improbable, for this kind of maximalism, inflexible as it is, would never worked out. They are asking too much. Megawaty would never relinquish her ambition to become the next President at all costs. The offer to go lower as Vice President was absolutely rejected off hand, even when the PKB crossed over to Golkar in order to get the votes. The Fractions rejected the idea of open election of the President under the pretext of "unethical" (sic!), they preferred the old system of closed voting because it will prevent people to find out how far the MPR abides by the democratic rules of the game. How nice ! President Habibie's candidacy has been torpedoed by Akbar Tanjung in order to position himself as a candidate for Chairman of the DPR (Parliament), or even as Vice President. General Wiranto could be the running mate of Megawati as Vice President overpowering Akbar, eventhough his name was mentioned by Human Rights people in Geneva as the one to be indicted as a war criminal to be tried by the Tribunal later on. However, the latest situation in connection with the 54th anniversary of the TNI which is very counterproductive if not debilitating at all for him and the whole Army being condemned by the demonstrators nationwide, wouldn't be conducive to his candidacy. If the demonstrators or pro-democray activists managed to survive the political battle against the desperate Armed Forces who are no longer reserved for the killings of them, finally democracy will win. New York, October 6, 1999. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Didistribusikan tgl. 6 Oct 1999 jam 15:17:08 GMT+1 oleh: Indonesia Daily News Online <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> http://www.Indo-News.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
