THE STRAITS TIMES, Saturday May 18,2002
[Editorial ] Poor judgment
JUST how byzantine political intrigue in Indonesia can be has been shown once again
in puzzling events involving Vice-President Hamzah Haz.
To outside quarters, his cordial ties with known militants who have a leading role in
sectarian troubles in outer provinces like Maluku are strangely in conflict with his
government's security priorities.
There is also the international terrorism dimension to consider, what with Indonesia
facing persistent prodding by the United States to do more to combat clandestine
groups believed to have links with global terror networks.
But, at home, his conduct is seen as wholly consistent with the jockeying for position
preceding the election, although it is still two years away.
It will be recalled that Mr Hamzah opposed Ms Megawati Sukarnoputri's election for
president by the People's Consultative Assembly after the 1999 parliamentary
elections, although her party had the most seats.
Mr Hamzah, whose Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP) was the third
largest bloc in the legislature, did not think the world's biggest Muslim nation should
be led by a woman.
Mr Abdurrahman Wahid then become president by default, when an alliance of
Muslim parties effectively shut Ms Megawati out.
Interestingly, Mr Hamzah lost to her in the balloting for vice-president.
The swing came full circle when he found himself playing second fiddle to her when
she was confirmed by the upper legislature last year to succeed President
Abdurrahman following his impeachment.
It is significant that Ms Megawati did not block his candidature for the No 2 position,
which he secured on the third ballot.
Few Jakarta pundits would think, at this juncture of the jousting, that he is ready to
make a run for the top job, but he is focused on sewing up early support from Muslim
organisations and key individuals with their own power base.
His rivalry with Mr Zainuddin M.Z., who leads the breakaway Reformasi faction in the
PPP, is a factor.
So, too, President Megawati's apparent rallying of the military to her side in the run-up
to the 2004 polls.
In his book, visiting the detained Laskar Jihad leader Jafaar Umar Thalib last week
was good politics.
'We Muslims are brothers,' he protested when asked if it was not scandalous for the
Vice-President to be seen with a man accused of inciting violence against Christians
in Maluku.
'There's nothing wrong with visiting someone in trouble and sympathising with him.'
The commiseration is fetching.
One little detail not missed by observers was that Mr Zainuddin had also visited Jafaar
that day.
A week later, Mr Hamzah opened Laskar Jihad's annual meeting.
To questions raised about propriety, he has replied evenly that these were acts of a
private citizen, not the Vice-President.
Mr Hamzah is defensibly being true to a politician's craft of conniving and supping with
the devil, if that is called for.
But ambition should not blind him to the fact that his acts are bound to be looked at
with consternation and not a bit of alarm in the region, and much further afield, in
Washington and the head offices of international lending agencies.
Firstly, his conduct can undermine the authority of his president, and the resolve of
the state, to manage sectarian conflict.
This is related to the anti-terrorism campaign.
Secondly, it is offensive to Indonesia's Asean friends that a country struggling to cope
with enormous challenges of unity and security is again at risk of being reduced to a
caricature. President Megawati has been gamely trying to hold the line.
She has a right to expect better judgment from her deputy.
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