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Voting for Peace

Translator

Editor

22 July 2014 15:26 WIB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - After the General Elections Commission (KPU) announces the official result of the 2014 presidential election on Tuesday all the dissension should stop. The presidential candidate who is declared to have lost should magnanimously concede defeat. The winner must not be arrogant or boastful.

The two candidates should not stubbornly insist on drawing a line between 'us and you'. The call by supporters of presidential candidate Joko Widodo to replace their two-finger salute the gesture for the candidate who was number two on the ballot paper with five fingers should be commended. This means it is time the two candidates shake hands and make peace. And it would be good if Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa did the same. The red garuda the two used as a symbol should once again become the Pancasila garuda, the state symbol reflecting unity and diversity.

This presidential election was perhaps the most brutal election in the history of this nation. Illegal campaign practices were openly used, both in social media and in a bogus tabloid. Political attacks using issues of ethnicity, religion, race and affiliation were commonplace.

For almost three months Indonesians were divided on whether to choose Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa or Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla. This difference of opinion was amplified by social media such as Twitter, Facebook, Path, Instragram and other virtual applications. Debates sprang up everywhere, often ending in supporters hurling abuse.

Now we can find out who won the presidential election. From the multistage count and the forms that have been downloaded from the KPU website, it is almost certain that Jokowi-Kalla will lead Indonesia for the next five years.

The final results will be very similar to the quick counts carried out by a number of polling organizations. Joko Widodo and Jusuf Kalla, nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Democrat (NasDem) Party, People's Conscience Party (Hanura), and the Indonesian Unity and Justice Party (PKPI) garnered 52.8 percent of the vote, while Prabowo-Hatta won 47.2 percent. Prabowo and Hatta were supported by the Red-White Coalition, comprising the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, National Mandate Party (PAN), Golkar Party, Democrat Party, United Development Party (PPP), Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB). 

The reconciliation should be completed before the president-elect is sworn in on October 20. Jokowi is not known for his reluctance to approach groups who oppose him. Prabowo would be remembered for his magnanimity if he did the same thing.

It would be entirely reasonable if the losing side took its case to the Constitutional Court. The Presidential Election Law clearly allows for this. Given the short time it would have to pass a ruling the law states that the dispute must be resolved within one month the Court should handle the case in a neutral and fair way. Any collusion between the Court and a particular candidate would complicate matters: the results of the election would always be doubted and the Court would lose all credibility.

A political approach could also be used to strengthen and accelerate reconciliation. In politics there is no shame in embracing losers. Golkar, the Democrat Party, PPP and PAN have already opened lines of communication with Jokowi and the parties supporting him. Although no agreements have yet been reached, many believe Jokowi will not close the door.

With additional supporting parties, the Jokowi coalition will be stronger in the House of Representatives (DPR). Without these additional forces and only 37 percent of seats in the House, the Jokowi-Kalla alliance will be held back and government policies can face tough challenges.

Jokowi has every right to be optimistic about the majority supporting him. But before this people power is deployed to oppose a legislature intent on undermining him, he should try political lobbying.

Showing flexibility when facing political opponents would not mean that Jokowi would be sucked into the mire of transactional politics. Jokowi must stick to his determination to establish a working cabinet. There must be as few party representatives as possible, and there must be more professionals.

The idea of drawing up a job description for ministers then looking for the right candidates should be tried. This would result in a cabinet based on organizational needs, not allocations of seats.

In the end, elections are democratic rituals that do not have to go hand in hand with eternal animosity. The winners should not cheer for too long. The losers should not harbor plans for revenge. Our republic needs them all: winners and losers. (*)

Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine



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