Friday, July 23, 2010
Indonesia’s Bad Losers
Indonesia's fledgling democratic countries are rife with election disputes. The pattern is always the same: the vote-rigging occurred, the losers will blame the winner and mobilize the mass to hold demonstration. The losers never concede defeat.
However the losers can be exonerated when it comes to messy election administration and bad dispute solving system. However, the losers sometimes exaggerate the rigging issues. For instance, in 2009 presidential election, SBY team had been accused playing citizen administration all across Indonesia. Certainly, it was impossible, since all the governors and regents are derived from different parties, not only SBY's Democratic Party. So it is hardly to believe that they obeyed the SBY's command to cheat.
Our politicians should grow up to face defeat boldly. America's democracy teaches us how beaten presidential candidate make a speech to accept the result and congratulate the winner. Even when there is something wrong about the process, they put the public interest in the first place and not to sacrifice democracy by prolonged disputes. Richard Nixon neglected the then-US President, Eisenhower to file the case of election fraud against John F Kennedy. Al Gore did the same against George W Bush.
The Indonesia's losers should learn why in sports especially in soccer, the referee's decision is uncompromised. In 2010 World Cup, Lampard's goal is a true goal, but the referee had decided it was not a goal and everyone had to accept this, even at last we know that the decision was wrong. It's a game that cannot be interrupted by prolonged dispute because it will ruin the games mood.
And so does the protracted election disputes. The people will be divided according to candidates. The violence is rampant. The election turns to violent drama instead of legal process to choose the leader. Democracy loses its beauty.
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