The more the merrier

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 10/03/2007 3:51 PM  |  Opinion

Indonesian voters can hope for a new face to contest the next presidential election after outgoing Jakarta governor Sutiyoso made himself available for the race. We are happy to see an alternative, although perhaps not the best, to the old faces we have been presented to-date.

Sutiyoso's declaration to run is accompanied by former presidents Megawati Soekarnoputri and Abdurrahman Wahid, who have, with support from their political parties, both announced their candidacy.

We expect incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to announce his bid for re-election and Vice President Jusuf Kalla to challenge him when the time is right.

Also, Wiranto, former Indonesian Military commander and former presidential candidate in the past, looks set to try his luck again via his newly-established political party, the Hanura.

As a Golkar Party candidate, Wiranto lost out in the first round in 2004.

Among these old faces, Yudhoyono is by far considered the strongest contender. Several popularity surveys found he topped the list, eclipsing his regular competitors.

But Sutiyoso's decision to run could possibly see Yudhoyono face some tough competition. For many, particularly the impatient, Sutiyoso fills a character void left by Yudhoyono -- the ability to be firm.

Yudhoyono is known for his indecisiveness. He would normally seek compromises from his political allies for important decisions, despite his full mandate from the people.

He would consider all opinions before making any decision and try to please everybody, probably a visceral shortcoming that allows his critics to see him as unattractive.

Sutiyoso, on the other hand, is known for his firm, perhaps ruthless, decision-making. His track record as Jakarta governor for 10 years confirms just that.

Just look at all his controversial decisions, ranging from fencing the National Monument to the most recent mass rapid transit system. All show his tendency to fight to the end to realize his policies. Yes, he often ignored people's opinions, but in the end, people all but accept his decisions.

Thanks to his firmness, Sutiyoso has survived the last four presidents -- from Soeharto to Yudhoyono -- as Jakarta governor.

However, Sutiyoso is coming into the race not without predicaments, and they could easily fail him.

He has long been connected to the bloody July 27, 1996 forcible takeover of the Indonesian Democratic Party head office in Jakarta, where scores of activists were killed or went missing. As the Jakarta Military commander at the time, Sutiyoso was responsible for security problems.

Also, there are several possible corruption cases in Jakarta under his leadership. A corruption case around the busway project is a good example. So far, Sutiyoso has appeared free from corruption. However, we don't know if he will be able to continue in this fashion as he prepares to run for president.

By coming out early into the race, Sutiyoso is exposing himself for possible attacks by his political opponents -- or just anyone who does not like him. Just one corruption case let alone any other criminal cases would be enough to stop him from running. His alleged role in human rights abuses in East Timor as a soldier could see additional burdens.

The other problem facing Sutiyoso, and this is a serious problem, is that he does not have a reliable political vehicle to contest the presidency.

Sutiyoso claims to have gained support from 13 small new political parties. The number indeed speaks for bad luck as it remains uncertain whether any of the parties would make it to the next legislative elections. Even if they do, we suspect they would not be able to garner the minimum votes required to nominate Sutiyoso as a presidential candidate.

So, the road is so long, winding and bumpy for Sutiyoso -- and that's just to make it into the race, let alone win it.

But, let's not worry about it. We believe Sutiyoso has already considered all the factors, and has the resources -- financial or otherwise, -- to tackle all these challenges.

What matters for us is that we need new faces to join the next presidential race. We feel enough with the old faces. Sutiyoso is surely not the ideal alternative candidate, but at least he would make the race more interesting.

Now Sutiyoso is already in. We invite other credible individuals to follow suit. We need as many choices as possible to find the best among the best. For sure, the more the merrier.

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