HS Dillon, Jakarta – Following the "limited cabinet reshuffle", I sent a text message to three close friends – a prominent human rights activist, a brilliant economist and a budding politician – inquiring about the immediate prospects of Indonesia's poor?
Their responses: "professed intentions and unintended consequences?"; "look forward to a not-so-promising future"; and "it seems they'll continue to be poor, as the new lineup also stressed continuity, which also means continuity of poverty".
Where does this leave us, tax-paying, law-abiding citizens, who yearn for a more equitable society? It is undeniable that the announcement of the cabinet reshuffle does not appear to herald any meaningful change, let alone transformation, over the next two years. And all this despite the fact that many concerned Indonesians had tried hard to embolden their President, so that he could take measures to arrest the steady decline of trust in his administration.
They had pointed out that a number of polls revealed that, despite all the hardships, people still placed greater trust in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono than in most of the nation's institutions. With politicians being discredited almost every day, the President actually had a stronger hand. However, those who had expected a roar must have been very disappointed at what they heard.
Despite all his protestations, the man on the street clearly recognizes that the President has not managed to escape from the clutches of narrow political interests. It is a great tragedy that this Cabinet will most probably carry its congenital defects to the grave.
It is sad that Yudhoyono, too, is repeatedly heard defending his "constitutional rights" in selecting his cabinet. No mention at all is made of his "moral obligations" to the Indonesian people. The people catapulted him into the presidency because they had trust in him. They turned away from the political parties who had betrayed them time and again, based mainly on the promises he made to "transform" the country.
Tens of millions had seen one president after another professing to don reformasi robes, but preferring the company of conglomerates, and cavorting in state palaces all over the world, rather than fraternizing with our poor. A collusion of capitalist interests, both domestic and foreign, in the guise of rescuing the economy, had shifted all the odious debts of the "black conglomerates" onto the shoulders of the poor.
Billions of dollars were poured into the insolvent banks, which then simply walked away with the funds. Basic services like food, healthcare and education were severely curtailed, as the state budget assumed the burden. In so many words, the ailing, semi-illiterate younger generations were expected to repay the debts of these "black conglomerates" who absconded with the country's money, with the contrivance of senior officials – politicians, bankers and law enforcers.
Other Indonesians seem baffled by the stance adopted by the President in forming and maintaining his Cabinet. A number of portfolios which could prove to be very instrumental in enhancing the earning capacity of people, and thereby swaying voters, namely agriculture, small and medium enterprises, and youth affairs, have been left in the hands of political parties who have their own agendas, which at some point in the future might prove to be very different from the President's.
Equally disturbing, many of these parties are espousing sectarian policies, showing complete disdain for the basic tenets of the pluralism this country is founded upon. Given his military background, Yudhoyono's supporters had expected a staunch pro-Republic position. Since he is well-educated and known for his honesty, voters hoped Yudhoyono had already formulated very sound strategies to deliver on his promises.
They placed their trust in him, hoping he would lead the country out of its state of despair. They, who had grown weary of the reformasi that had only amounted to a reallocation of power among the elite, wanted strong leadership that would in the not-too-distant future allow Indonesia to catch up to Malaysia in terms of development. Yudhoyono had given them cause to dream once again.
After witnessing a cabinet without any teamwork, its two top leaders constantly vying with each other, ministers living a life of luxury amidst teeming poverty, who will the disenfranchised turn to in the next elections? It would come as no surprise if the ministers were to shift the blame to the President for his indecisive leadership, while claiming credit for the programs they had implemented.
Most of his supporters fear that maintaining a cabinet divided among itself is tantamount to political suicide. Yesterday's editorial in this daily refers to "professed" supporters holding cabinet seats as "Trojan Horses", whose true colors will only be revealed at the end of Yudhoyono's term.
Please do some soul-searching, Mr. President, and try also to look into the hearts of our poor. Surely you will never be able to come to peace with yourself if the majority of Indonesians feel that you, too, abandoned them. There are many good Indonesians across all levels of society – in fact you have a number of them in your cabinet.
Identify these good souls, enter into equal partnerships with them; also help them forge meaningful partnerships among themselves. Leading by example, you can instill a sense of urgency by pointing out how we are slipping behind even countries like Vietnam. Remind them of the sacrifices made by founders of the Republic, and they will surely rally to the cause. If you manage to transcend self, and embark on the path of shared leadership, you might very well go down in history as the first Indonesian president to break the inter-generational transmission of poverty.
If a people-driven development paradigm is implemented, such that all policies formulated, institutions established and technologies developed or transferred, are driven by the needs and capacities of the weakest of our people, the dreams that our independence heroes died for will come true. We will have a just and prosperous society, and our people will live in dignity. Move fast, Mr. President, Indonesia has no more time to lose.
[The writer is senior governance adviser at the Center for Agriculture and Poverty-Alleviation Support, Jakarta.]