Wahid's demise a loss for democracy By LOUISE WILLIAMS Tuesday 24 July 2001 As the tortuous "death watch" over the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid drew to a close, his raucous political opponents could claim only the most hollow of short-term victories. For the people of Indonesia, the demise of their first democratically elected president in more than three decades must represent a profound loss. The immediate winners will be the power elite of old, the Machiavellian players who honed their skills under the former authoritarian leader Suharto. The losers will be the ordinary Indonesians who believed that Suharto's dramatic fall three years ago represented the dawning of a new era, one in which a democratically elected government would finally deliver the justice, peace and accountability they craved. Huge damage has already been done. The euphoria over Mr Suharto's fall in May, 1998, and the optimism of the largely peaceful national polls of the following year have long evaporated. The reality is that the long and complicated process of removing Mr Wahid from office that began at the start of this year had political power as its driving force. Ostensibly, Mr Wahid was called to account over corruption claims that would lead to his scheduled impeachment on August1. However, on May 29 the Attorney-General cleared him of involvement in the two scandals. His political opponents decided to push ahead anyway, accusing him of incompetent and erratic leadership instead. Many of those who pushed for Mr Wahid's impeachment have links to the former Suharto regime and the military. Others have long opposed Mr Wahid, such as the parliamentary Speaker, Amien Rais, emerging now to claim that Mr Wahid will be dragged off in chains if he refuses to leave the presidential palace. As often happens when a dictator falls, the disparate political groups that formed a powerful bloc in opposition disintegrate into squabbling factions when power is finally up for grabs. The Indonesian political quagmire is worsening under the ambitions of too many individuals with too little regard for the cost of political infighting in a poor, fractured nation. Throughout the slow tightening of the noose around Mr Wahid's neck, Indonesia slid further into paralysis. From increasing violence in the northern breakaway province of Aceh, where 21 separatists were reported killed last weekend alone, to the unchecked logging of national parks and the nation's little remaining tropical rainforest, the absence of effective government is taking its toll. The tragedy is not the fate of any individual politician. It is the beggars on the streets, the run-down schools, the lousy health services and the everyday violence over petty insults and crimes of opportunity. Detractors blame Mr Wahid personally for failing to implement any real policies. But in truth he has been unable to make headway in crucial areas, such as prosecuting military officers over atrocities in East Timor or negotiating peaceful settlements with independence movements in Irian Jaya or Aceh, because powerful forces in the military would not allow him to do so. Mr Wahid's removal will merely shift the political battleground but will not directly tackle the critical economic and social problems that still overwhelm the country. Megawati Sukarnoputri inherits a nation beset by economic woes, separatist conflicts, rampant environmental destruction, widespread lawlessness, corruption and human-rights abuses. There may be little honeymoon for Mrs Megawati as political parties begin jockeying for dominance before the next election in 2004. The problem with Indonesia, says a new group of young ideologues, is that ofpolitical power itself. Without a commitment to the common good, the revolving door will keep turning, with many of the same old faces going in and out in the name but not the spirit of democracy. Louise Williams is a former correspondent for The Age in Indonesia. ...........Menuju Indonesia yang Demokratis dan Berkeadilan............ Untuk bergabung atau keluar dari Milis, silakan anda lakukan sendiri Bergabung: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Keluar: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ->Cake, parcel lebaran & bunga2 natal? Di sini, http://www.indokado.com<--
