TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The inauguration of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama alias Ahok as governor of Jakarta is a constitutional victory. All efforts to block his oath-taking ceremony, including claims that the governor must be elected by the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) are unconstitutional.
In our legal system, the DPRD has no authority to block Ahok's inauguration. Our presidential system shows that the president, governors, mayors and regents must be elected directly by the people, not through parliament. If the anti-Ahok group appeals to the Supreme Court for a judicial review, their behavior becomes ever more clear.
The installation of Ahok as governor is also a victory for pluralism. For the first time Jakarta is governed by an ethnic Chinese who is a Christian. This a reflection of equal political rights for all citizens being implemented. The Pancasila community was born on the basis of mutual respect of one's citizenship, from whatever ethnic group the person comes from or which religion he or she adheres to.
Ahok becoming governor is also a victory for pluralism in another way. The people opposing Ahok's rise to the governorship seem to have a mental block about Jakarta being governed by a non-Muslim. Ahok happens to be a 'double minority': he's a Christian and a Chinese. The appointment of Ahok effectively destroys all efforts towards 'ice-block of sectarianism'. In the future, state officials must be people who have the capacity and the integrity, without considering their minority position.
The excuse that Ahok's leadership will harm Islam seems absurd and paranoid. Ahok has been accused of many things, for example of not allowing a tablig akbar (Islamic mass prayers) or banning the sacrificial slaughter of sheep and cattle in elementary schools. We know that objection to a tablig is not a rejection of a celebration, but the closure of roads that would cause so much traffic congestion.
Jakarta needs to return to order and stability, from cleaning up squatter settlements to getting rid of criminal elements like gangsters. The bureaucracy has not been efficient about this. Jakartans hope Ahok will continue the spirit begun by former Jakarta Governor Ali Sadikin, who practically restructured the city, got the bureaucracy working and was unafraid to face up to all kinds of mafiosi. The public yearns for such a leader, who is firm and unwilling to compromise.
In reality Ahok's leadership style is not as tough as that of Ali Sadikin. We remember he would slap employees he caught shirking. He also slapped a contractor who was late in supplying cement and a ticket tout at the Lapangan Banteng bus station. Ahok's temperament is nothing like that. However, Ahok would be well advised to keep his temper in check. No matter what, a governor must be able to control himself.
In a short time, Ahok will likely carry out big changes among his staff. To ensure an efficient rotation system, Ahok is expected to demonstrate a management style that is positive. It would not be ethical to 'shame' a staff who is publicly made to move around.
One thing that Ahok should be aware of are the Jakarta DPRD plenary sessions. His opponents are bound to play their game in the council particularly when it comes to approving the budget or certain new regulations. He will need to hone his political communication skills. He should refrain from being easily baited into an argument, which could lead to disastrous consequences. His principle of 'you sell I buy' which he often refers to perhaps should be gradually discarded, otherwise, he will run out of steam fast, from having to face the resulting unnecessary tension.
