`Decency' enters the political lexicon with Boediono

Endy M. Bayuni ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 05/20/2009 1:36 PM  |  Headlines

One of the most frequently asked questions about vice presidential candidate Boediono is "what's he going to say in the election campaigns?" or more precisely "how is he going to say it?"

It's not only that the soft spoken economist fails to fit the cookie cutter mould of a typical Indonesian politician, but he is also a man of a few words, and his campaign speeches, if and when he delivers them, aren't likely to fire up audiences.

A journalist who has interviewed Boediono several times in his previous capacities - as economic minister for three different administrations and as governor of Bank Indonesia - says you would be lucky to last 30 minutes with him as you soon run out of questions to ask.

Boediono is certainly not a beastly political animal (my apologies to the animal kingdom, I know we humans are no better, but this is a just an English expression). Instead he comes across as a furry and cuddly domesticated animal.

We have become accustomed to politicians who act like the ends justify the means, are ruthless if not unscrupulous to the point of being unethical and, worst of all, make promises they know they cannot keep.

Incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono picked Boediono as his running mate last week for the Democratic Party (PD)-led coalition ticket for the July 8 election. SBY parted ways with Jusuf Kalla, who helped him win in 2004 and supported his presidency for much of the last five years. He also resisted pressure from PD coalition partners to pick one of their politicians.

To the surprise of many, SBY picked a college economics professor over other more seasoned politicians. Boediono is an odd choice in Indonesia's coalition politics as he lacks both grassroots support and the popularity that other running mates would have brought to the partnership.

He probably doesn't have that many real friends in political circles either; one of his campaigners even went so far as to describe him as "a loner".

When Boediono and his wife Herawati traveled to Bandung last week to take part in the Democratic Party's declaration of candidacy, his "circle of close friends", who escorted him on the train ride from Jakarta, hardly filled half of the economy class car. The other half was generously filled by a hoard of journalists.

In private conversations, he admitted to feeling a little uneasy about taking the spotlight, having managed to perform in whatever capacity he has held in the past by keeping a low profile. With the election campaign getting underway soon, he must now address the public more often and make more frequent appearances. Being in the hot seat, he must also endure not only criticism, but, all too often, personal attacks.

He got taste of things to come last week when the Wharton School-trained economist was accused of being a neoliberal, subservient to US interests, by the PD's own coalition partners, who were vying for his spot. When this attempt failed to shake him, they started attacking his Islamic credentials. But Yudhoyono refused to budge, and defended his choice of running mate.

Boediono finally publicly recognized the attacks against him in his acceptance speech in Bandung on Friday, but instead of defending himself, had only this to say: "I realize my nomination has created such a controversy. But that's a sign democracy is alive."

A former student recalls the time in the 1990s that he had to meet with Boediono at Gadjah Mada University to discuss preparations for a seminar at the latter's office. His secretary said her boss was running a little late because he was just finishing his afternoon prayers. But when Boediono turned up, he did not have the usual traces of someone who has just prayed. "Pak Boed is someone who goes out of his way not to show off his religiosity," the student said.

Humbleness and humility are probably not the stuff that wins elections in a competitive democracy. Boediono's strengths could also be his weaknesses in July. At best, his nomination will have a neutral effect on the candidacy of SBY, who is ahead of the other presidential candidates according to all surveys anyway.

Win or lose in July, Boediono's participation has injected something that seems to be grossly in short supply in Indonesian politics: A sense of decency.

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