Posted on: Saturday, July 10, 2004
EDITORIAL
Voters ready to end Megawati presidency
A former general and security minister, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, appears on track to succeed President Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia's presidential election.
With most votes yet uncounted, Yudhoyono had 33 percent of the vote, Megawati 26 and former general Wiranto 23 percent.
Yudhoyono will face either Megawati or Wiranto in a runoff.
Support for Megawati and Wiranto, perhaps because of their better-developed political machines, has surged somewhat. That's a bit surprising given that many blame Megawati for Indonesia's slow economic recovery and enduring corruption, and Wiranto has been charged by a U.N. tribunal with crimes against humanity in East Timor.
Indonesia, the world's fourth-largest nation and the largest Muslim nation, is staging the world's largest direct presidential election. The peaceful conduct of the vote has been a matter of pride for Indonesians so soon after the chaotic collapse of the Suharto regime six years ago, and is seen as evidence that democracy and Islam can coexist.
Serious issues have been neglected in this campaign, even though Indonesia's economic growth falls behind its neighbors and unemployment continues to grow. More than anything else, Indonesians appear to be looking for an honest president to stamp out corruption, collusion and nepotism.
"The general who thinks, not the one who kills," is how one of his campaign team has described Yudhoyono. His appeal lies in a presidential tone tempered by softness.
How a Yudhoyono presidency would cooperate with the Bush administration on fighting terrorism remains to be seen, but it appears the deadly bombings in Bali and Jakarta are not a leading issue in this campaign.
Megawati and Wiranto deserve credit for pledging to respect the final outcome, even as preliminary results made their chances look slim.
Whoever wins, the Indonesian election is good news for democracy in Asia. The high turnout, around 80 percent, puts many longer-established democracies to shame.
