Aguswandi, Banda Aceh – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) establishing itself as a political party is the last thing Jakarta needs to worry about right now. In fact it should be celebrated as another step in Aceh's peace process. It is a success of the reintegration – political reintegration – of former combatants fully into the society. All reintegration programs established after the Helsinki pact have been trying to get individual ex-combatants back into normal life. Now is the time to help them, as a group, enter the normal democratic and political process in Aceh and Indonesia.

GAM's full transformation from an armed movement into a political movement is important for peace in Aceh. For now, like it or not, GAM's future political transition will affect the future of Aceh, and the celebrated peace process in the province. The decision to set up a political party shows they have the aspiration and intention to enter the normal democratic political struggle. It means things are improving and on track with the Helsinki pact.

Seen also in this way, it is the end of the old GAM and the beginning of a new, peaceful, political one. The weapons have been handed over, the armed wing has been disbanded and they as a group of former combatants have decided to set up a political party. Some of them are not interested in politics, many more are interested in setting up companies or continuing their studies, or getting married and having a normal life. So what?

GAM maintains its original flag and name as symbols of its political party for two reasons. First, to attract voters and a show off that they were the one who fought in Aceh before.

Second, it is important for some of the ex-rebels involved in an internal power struggle who are now claiming this is the real GAM political party. All the others are not, but either they are "political deserters" or not the genuine one. The complexity of the former rebel movement can only be understood by those who have followed the split within GAM after the governor election.

The initiative taken by some leaders within GAM to establish themselves as a political party, with its flag and its name, is more of a challenge to other groups within GAM than to the outside, including Jakarta.

So the flag might be the same, the symbols might not have changed, but life in Aceh is different since the peace agreement was signed. Life is moving forward in Aceh, not backward. GAM, like any other group in Aceh faces the challenge to talk about substantial issues, not about flags and symbols.

If GAM is to ever really be a political party, they also have to talk about the economy, education, governance and all the other things that matter to Acehnese life. They also have to compete with ideas from other political parties and civil society groups.

It is similar to the present governor, Irwandi, a former rebel, elected in the regional election. Instead of talking about symbolic stuff, he is busy talking about investment and development strategy. This scenario for Aceh is better than having a group or individuals who claim to be the representatives of the people, but have not actually been elected.

In fact, it is important to help GAM to move in the direction as a non-violent and democratic group. It will help them as a whole to become a more sophisticated political entity participating in the electorate process. In fact, their internal rift, their failure to transform themselves will be bad for the peace process. It might create a provisional type group like the case with the MNLF in the Philippines, or provisional IRA in North Ireland.

We are almost there now, at the closure of the ideal transformation of conflict in Aceh, from violent and bloody to an open and democratic process. Indonesia is in the process of creating a historical event, for ourselves and the world, solving a conflict and transforming peacefully.

Flags, symbols and names are the last things we should be discussing right now. Not Governor Irwandi, GAM or Jakarta can sustain themselves by highlighting this matter. More important things are the creation of jobs, the economy, building good governance, assisting victims of conflict and rebuilding after the tsunami. We can no longer build a future society based on a flag and symbols.

[The writer is a consultant on post-conflict in Aceh. The views expressed here are personal. He can be reached at agus_smur@hotmail.com.]