Asia Times: 'Reformasi' faces its moment of truth



	June 08, 1999	atimes.com

Southeast Asia

'Reformasi' faces its moment of truth
By Kafil Yamin

JAKARTA - For 32-year-old Pipit Apriani, the bestthing about Indonesia's June 7 general election is being able tovolunteer for poll monitoring - which in the past has been a life-threatening endeavor.

The election-monitoring body she chairs is located in WestJakarta, with a huge billboard in front of it that says ''KIPP'',the Indonesian acronym for Komite Independen Pemantau Pemilu orthe Independent Committee for Election Monitoring.

Since earlier in the year, KIPP has been busy signing upvolunteers, and recruitment soon spread to various districts inJakarta. This reflects keen interest in ensuring the success of the June7 parliamentary election, Indonesia's first free poll in more thanfour decades.

''Thanks to the new era, we can now have our office here. Wecan put up a billboard, distribute leaflets and open registrationfor volunteers openly,'' Pipit said, reveling in the air ofpolitical freedom since President Suharto was forced to quit inMay 1998.

''When this body was established in 1996, under the old regime,our regional offices were ransacked. Some of them were burnt. Ourvolunteers were chased, kidnapped and tortured,'' she recalled. Now, KIPP West Jakarta, which Pipit chairs, has recruited 4,360 volunteers, among them students, employees and a few businessmen.

Rusli, a trader who joined the volunteer force, said: ''We don't want to see an election filled with intimidation,cheating and fraud like we witnessed in the past. We've beendisgusted with dirty and shameful games."

Due to reports of ''money politics'' conducted by the rulingGolkar party and its allies, many Indonesians remain skepticalabout the professed ''free, fair and just'' election on June 7.

Still, they see Monday's poll as a crucial moment andimportant passage for Indonesia toward a new era. Formany, this era has not been the death knell for Suharto's ''NewOrder'', but is more a ''moment of truth'' for the reformationmovement. So far, ''reformasi'', the Indonesian term that has become knownaround the world, has led to political openness and press freedom.

The government of President Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie has,under public pressure for change, allowed 48 political parties tocontest this election, and hundreds of new press licenses havebeen issued.

In the three-week campaign period, Indonesia's majorcities have become stages for cavalcades, carnivals, vehicle convoys,and rallies by various political parties.

But the noise and process of elections will not automaticallylead to political change, a shift in the power structure inIndonesia, analysts say. ''This fanfare shows that we have had a more favorable politicalclimate, but low political awareness,'' said political expert Dr. Facry Ali. He says the present political openness is not being utilized for public political education and improving political awareness, but for expressing ''street passions and anarchy."

Dedi Gunadi, a youth supporter of the opposition PDI Perjuanganled by Megawati Sukarnoputri, confesses to knowing nothing abouthis party's program and agenda. The only thing he knows is that the party is led by Megawati,the daughter of Indonesia's founding president Sukarno and the candidate expected to be one of the leading contenders for the presidency later this year. Dedi has painted his face red - the color of Megawati's party - and joined fellow supporters dancing and shouting along Sudirman Avenue, their actions paralyzing traffic in central Jakarta.

Iqbal Subhan, a youth supporter of the United Development Party,climbed the welcome statue in Thamrin Avenue and put the party'sflag on top of it during a campaign rally. He says he was told the party is Muslim. ''I am a Muslim. So I support this party,'' he said.

Leni Munarni, a university student, joined the National MandateParty (PAN) rallies because she likes Amien Rais, the party'sleader. ''I am not well-informed about PAN's agenda, what I know isthat the man (Rais) is a staunch reformist,'' she said from hercar, one in a PAN vehicle convoy.

When the campaign period ends, two days of ''rest'' will follow before the country's 130 million voters cast ballots for national, provincial and regency level parliaments. The election commission gave the 48 parties until June 4 to enter into 11th-hour vote sharing agreements. With most opinion polls predicting no clear winner, several partieshave agreed to contribute their extra votes to the main winner intheir group.

The three main opposition parties in the polls, which includeMegawati and Rais' parties, have balked at entering any formalcoalition but have signed a loose alliance to ensure that the ruling Golkar partydoes not gain the upper hand in the polls.

And while admitting the lack of an education-oriented pollcampaign so far, many Indonesians are relieved with what so far isthe biggest gain of the campaign season: the absence of seriousviolence and unrest.

''This is an encouraging development. Let's talk about goodcampaign and political maturity later. I am glad to notice that wehave been able to leave violent acts and anarchy behind duringthis campaigning,'' argued Pipit.

Political maturity may be a long time away, but ''we, the government andthe community, have made a good start,'' she added. ''I don't expect this election to be totallyfair, free and honest. But for a starter, it gives us optimism."

(Inter Press Service)

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