poor country?

POOR COUNTRY?

Watching Barrack Obama’s nomination speech made our running presidential candidates becomes a laugh. It is ashamed of watching one the presidential candidates on TV at the previous night. The TV show made me laugh learning the way the candidate responding to the questions from the panelist and the audience. She did not do her homework about being a good speaker. She doesn’t realize that a good speaker is a good listener. Well, clearly seen that she could not control herself just to spend a little time to hear what her opponent is about to say. She cut it off, and telling that she got the ideas. That’s really a pathetic way of winning others’ sympathies. I was thinking, does she forget the reason she stands before these panelists and the audience? Does she aware that the show is being watched by thousands of Indonesians. If all the answers to the above questions are NO, then there’s no doubt that she is going to be the loser in the next presidential election. Then, I realize that it was just a TV show, and then it is not important the way she acted in the show, since she is most likely not going to run for the real candidate for the president in the real battle. Then it’s not a problem. Unfortunately, the real TV campaigns from the real president candidates are not better. They are even worse. Their campaign is just like a commercial break. It is about the quality of the figure. They are now trying very hard of building good images about themselves by picturing themselves as the character with excellent social care. In fact, it’s all just a lip service. Their words are soulless, dull and shallow. These people cannot meet the important quality a good leader should have, a commitment, which should have been shown long before they start running for presidency.

The first candidate with his commercial break is Prabowo. He is showing himself standing up for the farmer. His track record is not so good in this kind of matter. Regarding his career in military, there would be less chance for him to stay in touch with farmers in the past. He did not show any commitment regarding to these low class people. It is the fact that farmers are suffer in richness. Many policies are made not for the sake of the farmers. It is the fact that the farmers have to buy expensive fertilizer and in the end they have to sell their harvest cheaply. This is tragic. Prabowo is smart enough to learn this condition and realizes that farmers are such potential constituents since they are great in numbers. If he can win this segment vote, he might win the election. However, will the farmers take him seriously and count on him by electing him as the president? It’s a great expectation for Prabowo. He needs to show his commitment for years’ services in defending farmers in concrete way before declaring himself as the speaker for farmers. He has to show that he has started or established some efforts or moral movement to improve the farmers living condition. The efforts that make him deserve to win their vote.

The next is Rizal Mallarangeng. He is well known as a TV presenter, instead of as neither a businessman nor an activist. His existence is not really recognized by many voters. People are suddenly exposed to his character as a man who has concern to community and has a nice family through an ad emerges on TV. However, somehow he does not use Bahasa Indonesia fully for his campaign. It makes him loosing sympathy for many Indonesians who do not speak English. But thanks God he is supported by one of prominent TV stations in this country. Meanwhile, he is required to be more down to earth by sincerely committing in more social services and real years work to show his resolve standing up for poor people in this country.

Moreover, Soetrisno Bachir, one of candidates from one big political party, raises the issue of the spirit of Indonesian awakening. Picturing himself standing along with the youth, who have successfully declaring themselves as the pioneer in their own field, Bachir leads Indonesians to consider him as one of the pioneers in politics. He builds up an image as the young generation who is going to bring Indonesia to a better life. Well, it is not an easy scheme. It requires a hard long job to meet the ideal condition. That is the job that has already done excellently by the people he gets along with in the ad. Does not he aware of the long and harsh path the boys have got through to be in the present prestige? It takes a solid commitment which is implemented by a dedicated effort. Hence, Bachir needs to learn this ethic from those youth have done to accomplish what they have today, a long and hard work, not an instant one. He needs to learn more about commitment. In this case, Bachir has to have the commitment to face any obstacles and willing to put a side his own importance above the nation importance which is in the end he might bring this nation to the goal of national awakening.

Furthermore is Wiranto. Despite his excellent career in military service and his commitment of protecting the former President Soeharto and his family in May 1998, Wiranto needs to show his commitment of defending poor people better. He might think winning the voters sympathy by eating “nasi aking” before many mass medias several months ago. In fact, it is considered as a vulgar campaign. Me, my self, I couldn’t stand to see his pictures in news paper doing his daredevil stunt. What a “smart” way to win votes! Will people believe that he really does care about them, regarding he is living in a cozy house? On the other hands, this four stars general must know his stunt does not feed the hunger people. He should have thought concrete solutions of this miserable condition. He must show his fully, surely dedication of overcoming the problems. A situational “heroic” touching care is not a sort of commitment this starving nation need.

Another presidential candidate who needs to learn of having well founded commitment is Megawati Soekarno Putri. This lady has a super duper great manager for her campaign- Soekarno image. She does not have to do that hard job to win votes, like her colleges do. It could be she thinks all she has to do is criticizing the current government for not being able of taking care national issues. She speaks up loudly about the rising of the oil price that affects both micro and macro economics life. She might think this nation has forgotten and forgiven her incapability in handling significant issue when she was in Istana Merdeka. She had shown how good she was when she’s crowned as Indonesian president by selling sands to Singapore. Is that a kind of commitment that she can offer to the voters? A commitment to sell this country? Badly, she needs to learn more her previous policies before criticizing the incumbent president. She needs to open her mind and figure out what beneficial efforts she has already accomplished for the sake of this country. She might have magnificent campaign manager, but it does not mean she has tremendous commitment and hard work to bring this nation to a better condition. Will she win the vote by just criticizing out loud the incumbent president? Well let’s see.

Despite all the above absurd and fake campaigns which are lack of commitment, then there are two examples in which Indonesian presidential candidates can learn about long life commitment. Indonesian politicians need to be in an exposure of willingness to serve for this country. They need to learn to make their motto and jargon to be more meaningful and have soul. They needs to make sure themselves to be always down to earth. It is the fact that their campaign is lack of sincere commitment. It is nothing but just a lip service. The real commitment should have proved by a long and consistent hard work. None was shown before the Election Day. They rarely or almost never get in touch with the people they are trying to embrace at the moment. Where are they long before the Election Day? What have they done to darely claim themselves as the representative of particular group of people?

Hence, their campaigns become meaningless compare to the first speech that was delivered by Barrack Obama when accepted Democrats Nomination as the candidate president in Denver Colorado. Watching him live delivering his speech explaining his commitment and promises as the next president felt realistic. There is no doubt that this 47 years old man would keep his promises. As he was elected as the senator for Illinois in 2005, he has committed himself in health, education, labor, and pensions matters. He involved as well in improving the living condition in poor neighborhood and seriously fought crime and unemployment. In addition, by being the first African American president Harvard Law Review in 1991, he has put himself on the right track for his political career by having good sense of law supreme for defending people. This is the real commitment, the commitment that people can count on. The commitment that has been tested many years by various constrains which ended achieving concrete results. Then, at the time he delivers his political speech, the voters are guaranteed for changes that have been working on long before he run himself for presidential election. It is not a week day work.

Another splendid real example of the victory of solid commitment is Fernando Lugo. This 56 years old bishop , the new Paraguay president who just came to the palace last 15 August, has proved his commitment to poor farmers in his country. By leaving his life as a bishop, Lugo spent his life among poor farmers and raised a movement to allow the farmer to have their own land so they can live better. He lives closely to the Paraguay poor farmers. Then, his commitment brought him to the presidency. His people want him to do his job better, and then they brought him to the top position. Soon, he reached it he keeps his words by not staying in the official presidential residency. And even, one of Indonesian journalists who spent a day with Lugo as the president at his first day service reported that Lugo commuted without any guards and fancy car. And even he promises that he will donate his salary for charity, which is about 37 million Rupiahs, during his service. What a lesson for Indonesian politicians. He has no worries since he gets used to live in simplicity. This is the real commitment Indonesian politicians should have. Will they be able to follow Lugo track? That will be a touching way to win the vote.

In short, these are two pictures of essential quality a leader should have. Tragically, among Indonesians president candidates, it is hard for Indonesians to see those qualities. They should have learnt how to be a good leader for their people. By seeing the facts at the moment, it is really embarrassing to see them fighting for the position. They should have thought twice before the made up their mind to pursue the position. They should have asked themselves what they have done before declaring themselves as the next president. If there’s only one of them has started building right track record, then there is no doubt the campaign time will not be a humiliation moment, both for the candidates and the constituents. The key word is commitment, the proved commitment to give their best effort to bring this nation to a better life.