U.S. Senator John McCain has taught the world how to act as a statesman -- especially in accepting a bitter humiliation. The world was deeply impressed when McCain graciously conceded his defeat to his rival Barack Obama in the Nov. 4 U.S. presidential election and wholeheartedly offered his congratulations.
Many Indonesians who are tired of the nonsupportive behavior of our politicians have expressed their wish that the losers in elections -- be it regional, legislative or presidential -- would learn from McCain's statesmanship. There are so many incidents at regional elections. It is still acceptable for the one who loses to use legal means to challenge their defeat, but what often happens is that they use violence to express their anger.
"I pledge to him tonight to do all in my power to help him lead us through the many challenges we face," McCain said in his speech soon after knowing that Obama -- whom McCain criticized severely and even quite ridiculously during the election campaign -- had won by a landslide.
And McCain blamed himself as the most responsible for the upset. "The failure is mine, not yours," he told his somber supporters.
As president-elect, Obama also praised his rival. "Senator McCain fought long and hard in this campaign. And he's fought even longer and harder for the country that he loves."
But actually Indonesians do not need to go as far as the United States to find a gentlemanly loser. We have a strong role model here too, although it happened only at a regional election level. But perhaps just a few Indonesians noticed how Police Comr. Gen. (ret) Adang Daradjatun elegantly accepted his loss to Fauzi Bowo in the Jakarta gubernatorial election in August of last year.
The former National Police (Polri) deputy chief said at that time: "I will support Bang Fauzi and Bang Prijanto (Fauzi's deputy) .... The election has proceeded very well.... I believe both of them will give their best for Jakarta. Their vision and mission are also excellent."
Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri should feel ashamed next to McCain and Adang because until now, or four years after her defeat by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the 2004 presidential election, she still cannot accept the fact that she was the loser in the country's first direct presidential election.
She plans to compete in next year's presidential race and we do hope that she does not repeat her childish behavior when she fails again.
Security and public order are still fragile in North Maluku because although Home Minister Mardiyanto installed Thaib Armaiyn as the province's new governor in September, his rival Abdul Gafur, a former minister of Soeharto, apparently still cannot accept the fact that he did not win last November's election.
It is very likely that the loser in the East Java gubernatorial election -- Khofifah Indar Parawansa and her running mate Mudjiono -- will repeat the behavior of many election losers in Indonesia who quickly blame others for their defeat and even often provoke their supporters to run amok and commit destructive acts.
Khofifah, a former Cabinet member, has refused to accept that voters decided in the Nov. 4 elections that her rival Soekarwo and his partner, former minister Saifullah Yusuf, should lead East Java for the next five years. There is a great possibility that the population of the province will suffer due to the bad behavior of their politicians who are not ashamed to use all possible means to block the victory of their rivals.
While we do not rule out that cheating might have occurred in the election, we hope they act as mature politicians who do not only think about their own interests but the welfare of the whole population -- whom they had promised a better life when they won the local leadership election.
Indonesians deserve to be proud that their country has become the world's largest democracy after India and the United States within only 10 years after they forced Soeharto to end his dictatorship in May 1998. But the people -- and especially the political elites -- need to be know that democracy does not only mean victory but also defeat.
Adang Daradjatun has demonstrated his statesmanship as a loser. In next year's elections and also in the upcoming elections in various regions, we all need to be committed to follow the examples of Adang and McCain in accepting a humiliating failure.
