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11/11/02
Just as there is good and bad in everything, there are
good politicians and bad politicians. It is not hard
to accept this reality, but what is more difficult is
how to distinguish between them. So, what is the
difference between good and bad politicians?
The difference rests in four alphabets: Bad
politicians often talk about poli-tics, while
good politicians often talk about poli-cy. For
bad politicians, politics is everything. They come to
power through politics, they defend their power with
politics and in most cases they “die” because of
politics. The order of their priority is as follow:
Politics, personality and policy. No wonder, when it
comes to a policy making process they always
politicizing it because they see policy less important
than politics. Politics, when it is played by bad
politicians will end up just like what Dalton Camp
remarked, “… is made up largely of irrelevancies.”
When politicians said a few months ago that there was
no any terrorist group in Indonesia or were muted to
that possibility, that was the time when bad
politicians playing politics.
Having politicized every policy making process, bad
politicians put their priority on attacking
personality rather than examining and debating other
politicians’ policy proposal. This is so-called
character assassination. It is an effort to kill the
“hope” of their political rivals by exploiting
personal lives and conducts of their rivals which is
often exaggerated with lies and baseless accusations.
Bad politicians really love this game because this is
a cheap and quick way of showing that they are better
than their political opponents.
The gender issue during the 1999 presidential
election was politics.
And finally, debates on public policy are the last
agenda of bad politicians. It is not so much due to
their intellectual incapability - as what George
Wallace said, “I've seen many politicians paralyzed in
the legs as myself, but I've seen more of them who
were paralyzed in the head” – rather, it is more on
their less willingness to produce policies that have
good impacts on society while simultaneously limit
their access to appropriate public resources.
So, what about good politicians? Good politicians talk
first about policies that can make their country
better and then ask a question who are the right
persons to execute the policies. Realizing that
diversity does exist in any society, good politicians
search for the common ground among diverse views,
negotiate with those who agree and disagree with them
and make adjustments to their proposals without
destroying the goals they seek to accomplish. In
other words, they build political consensus on those
two issues (policies and persons).
As Indonesia grows larger and even more diverse (in
terms of economy and population), fundamental
disagreements over how to address any given issue are
likely to grow even more intense. To avoid jamming
over policy decision process, the country needs people
who know how to provide stability, to accommodate
different points of view and to build consensus. That
is what good politicians do: to function and enhance
democracy. They make democratic government possible in
a nation which is filled with competing interests and
they make the country work. That’s why we need more
good politicians these days.
But the first step toward having more good politicians
is to attract more good people to politics. We need to
encourage good people to involve in politics. At the
same time we must start throwing away any prejudicial
thinking of people who are different from us either by
race, religion or ethnic background. The next step is
to launch a national campaign to make sure that
criminals in public service, both in executive,
legislative and judicative branches, get exemplary
punishment. Citizens should ensure, through networking
and public campaign, that people with criminal records
never get participated in elections, never get elected
and never get appointed in public office. Only through
these steps could we promote good people into politics
and get more good politicians.
How to get rid of the bad apples?
The terror in Bali has swept away the nation’s
previous debate on the corruption practices committed
by high officials in legislative and judicative
branches. Now, as the investigation of the
Bali’s terror continues, the debate can be reopened again as
the matter is also very crucial to the future of the
nation. It’s time to talk about corrupt politicians
and high ranking officials.
How to reduce the numbers of bad politicians? Bad
politicians are corrupt politicians. But even if
public elects corrupt politicians, without the help of
government officials, they can not indulge in corrupt
practices. All corruption cases have been involved, in
one way or the other, with government officials. And
worse, the verification of corrupt politicians is
often obstructed by the government. Therefore, to get
rid of bad politicians requires good, efficient and
honest government offices.
Corrupt politicians are also a reflection of the
falling values of the society. We should feel
responsible that they exist in our midst. And the
only way to get rid of bad politicians is through
political process not through terror or any physical
intimidation. As a prerequisite, we really must have
well-educated and good politicians.
What can
Indonesia’s young generations learn from the
nation’s present politicians? They represent the
nation, but can they serve as good examples for the
youth. I doubt about it. I have read the biography of
great politicians like Soekarno and Hatta, but will we
ever have leaders and politicians like them again? Yes
we can. I think the current generation can make good
politicians. But would they ever want to be? And who
will want to encourage them to become good
politicians? Personally I am taking part in that
effort – to encourage Indonesian’s young generations
to become good politicians – and institutionally,
through The Indonesian Institute, we will continue to
work collectively with other people who have the same
spirit to do so.
Pessimist or Optimist?
As the 2004 general election is not far from now,
people should start observing politicians thoroughly
whether they are good politicians or bad ones. It is
time for people to start looking at good politicians
without regard to their political orientation as long
as they are still in the context of national ideology,
Pancasila or human failings (whether he is physically
disabled or not), start separating the good from the
bad and start creating some role models for the young
generations to follow.
We are not looking for perfect people because that
would be impossible. Our responsibility is to find
people in our neighborhood with understandable
concerns, mindset, and above all, commitment to public
service and sense of duty towards our nation. Like it
or not, it is that famous quote of John F. Kennedy
"...ask not what your country can do for you but what
you can do for your country..." becomes very relevant
when it comes to a career in politics, particularly in
a nation like ours.
Should we be pessimist or optimist about a challenge
to simultaneously have more good politicians and get
rid of bad politicians?
As the brilliant Argentinian soccer player, Gabriel
Batistuta once said, “In Argentina they were good and
bad politicians - the bad ones won and are in the
majority. We need someone who will give faith back to
the people. I am optimistic, I am Argentinian and
Argentinians are optimists."
I am also optimist that Indonesian will have more good
politicians, but only if the good people and the young
generations of the country fight for it.
Searching for Good
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