Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta – The Golkar Party has shown its teeth. During a closing speech at the party's national meeting in November last year, Golkar leader Jusuf Kalla said democracy could be compromised for the sake of people's welfare.
Of course, when complaining that the path of democracy the nation is taking is too expensive, Kalla, who is Vice President, does not want to mention the wealth he gained during the authoritarian regime of president Soeharto.
As a businessman-turned-politician, Kalla is the opposite of Nobel laureate economist Amrtya Sen, who often says, including in his book Poverty and Famines: An Essay on Entitlement and Deprivation, that many countries can not solve poverty-related problems due to the absence of democracy.
Democracy, known for its dictum "from the people, by the people and for the people", will not satisfy those who only think about short-term profits.
To secure the long-term benefits of democracy, the country needs to apply its key elements, such as rule of law, mutual respect and protection of people's rights, including those of the minorities, regardless of their ethnicity, race, religion, gender or sexual orientation.
The recent Golkar push for impunity for the ailing Soeharto, who was listed in a report sponsored by the World Bank as the world's richest kleptocrat, is of course against the principle of rule of law, and therefore democracy.
Golkar, Soeharto's political machine until he stepped down in May 1998, has an obligation to protect Soeharto, but it cannot defy the principle of equality before the law.
If this were a soccer game, Soeharto could not just quit after bringing down another player from behind. The referee should give him a red card before sending him off.
On the morning on May 21, 1998, following days of rioting that killed hundreds of people in Jakarta, Soeharto declared that he was resigning the presidency.
Now, Soeharto loyalists may say, "If God is forgiving, why can't we forgive our former leader since he contributed so much to the nation, despite his mistakes."
God, as described by respected poet Goenawan Mohamad in his recently launched book Tuhan dan Hal-Hal yang Tak Selesai (God and Unfinished Things), is easily manipulated by certain people to serve their own interests.
The same God is used by terrorists to justify their crimes. In the name of God, the Indonesian Ulema Council released fatwas (edicts) on heretical sects which later prompted radicals to perpetrate violence against followers of the sects.
The People's Consultative Assembly has never revoked a 1998 decree which orders the investigation into alleged corruption, collusion and nepotism involving Soeharto. The government's failure to uphold the decree, as evident by the attorney general's decision to close the graft investigation against Soeharto, only shows the poor law enforcement in the country.
Soeharto is currently being sued in a civil case over alleged misuse of state funds worth US$240 million and Rp 185.9 billion by his foundations.
The current government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wants to avoid the public perception that his administration upholds impunity, which would set a bad precedent for the country's efforts to uphold justice.
In a press conference at the State Palace after visiting Soeharto last week, Yudhoyono said the government would provide medical help for all former presidents.
But, Yudhoyono stopped short of explaining the government's stance on the legal process against Soeharto. The President is testing the water.
The Assembly decree and the World Bank-sponsored report are probably not enough for Yudhoyono to take action against Soeharto. The democratically elected President needs to listen to voices other than from those who benefit the most from Soeharto.
Human rights victims during Soeharto's regime, the poor and champions of democracy should dare to speak out.
[The writer is a journalist at The Jakarta Post. He can be reached at junaidi@thejakartapost.com or alexjunaidi@gmail.com]