SBY and Indonesia

Continuing from Megawati's announcement to be considered for the 2009 elections, many other Indonesian political figures have come out to throw themselves into the fray. Gus Dur, the former president, has been quoted to have said 'Saya siap maju, kenapa tidak? (I'm ready, why not ?) If he says what he means, then i say that Indonesia will have to see whether this man is 'ready' to lead the country again.

What should Indonesia expects from the president ?

A one man show to combat corruption ?
A one man show to improve the country's economy and competitiveness ?
A one man show to coordinate reconstruction efforts in affected areas ?
I mean the list can go on ...

Let's not kid ourselves that the President is Superman in disguise. He can certainly try to be one but he is only judged by his results. Right now, things are not going his way. The TIME ruling in favour of Suharto has certainly wiped off some gloss on his anti-corruption stand. The earthquakes in Sumatra will certainly test the capability of SBY and his administration through the reconstruction efforts. The DCA with Singapore certainly looks like a dead deal at this moment. My guess is that DPR will drag its feet and continue to capitalize nationalist sentiments to kill the deal permanently. So, one has to feel some sympathy for SBY. Unless things turn around for him, dark clouds will garner, in time to come, around his presidency.

On the other hand, Indonesia should reflect upon the words of John Wayne " I didn’t vote for him but he’s my president, and I hope he does a good job.” in 1960 when JFK was elected ahead of Richard Nixon, Wayne's preferred choice. I guess those were the words of a true patriot. Not for self and party but for the nation. For the fourth's largest country in the world on its slow path to democracy, such a message cannot be emphasized enough.

And, SBY would certainly appreciate those 17 words.