The Best of Bad Choices

THE BEST OF BED CHOICES
Ahmad Wakil Kamal resolved just last month to reenter politics, although he also despairs that little will come from the presidential contest.

When Kamal arrived at Islamic University in Jakarta from the dusty island of Madura in 1993, he quickly lived up to his reputation as a Madurese: tough, brave and bull-headed. Within a month, the solidly built, broad-shouldered law student was in the streets protesting a government proposal for a lottery. Many more demonstrations followed.

"I participated in hundreds of protests, and I don't know how many times the police and military beat me up," said Kamal, 32, crinkling the corners of his eyes as he laughed.

As the national leader of Indonesia's law students, he said, he helped organize the 1998 demonstrations campus by campus. He led at least 3,000 students to the parliament and watched with amazement as Suharto resigned.

"I was happy, but I was also surprised. I never imagined Suharto would step down so fast," Kamal said, dramatically placing his hands over his heart. "One reason the reform movement has failed is that we never had a chance to discuss what would come after Suharto."

Politicians hijacked the pro-democracy movement, he lamented, and the student movement fractured into rival camps.

"I have to admit that reform died young," he said. "Indonesians don't believe in reform anymore. All they see is prices going up and life getting more difficult. It's very hard for them to earn money."

Kamal turned his back on politics, completed his studies and in 1999 began practicing law, eventually opening his own firm, litigating divorce cases and corporate disputes.

He had planned to sit out the July election. But last month, a top aide to Yudhoyono, the former Suharto general and presidential front-runner, asked him to join the campaign. Kamal met with the candidate at a five-star hotel. Unwilling to back Megawati because of her lackluster performance and unable to support Wiranto because of human rights concerns, Kamal signed on with Yudhoyono, brushing off old political ties to organize campaign rallies.

"The decision was very hard for me," Kamal said, recalling his drubbings at the hands of the military. "He is the best of bad choices."

*Special correspondent Noor Huda Ismail contributed to this report from The Washinton Post
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Uji Publik Caleg Muda

UJI PUBLIK CALEG MUDA
JAKARTA (BP) – Menjelang pemilu legislatif kali ini, banyak caleg muda yang muncul. Beberapa dari mereka merupakan mantan aktivis yang dulu sering berdemonstrasi menentang Orde Baru. Kemarin caleg-caleg muda itu mengadu visi dan misi yang difasilitasi Lingkar Madani untuk Indonesia (Lima) dan Center for Indonesian Regional and Urban Studies (CIRUS).

Acara tersebut dihadiri enam caleg muda dari enam partai berbeda. Mereka adalah Rama Pratama (PKS), Budiman Sudjatmiko (PRD), Ahmad Wakil Kamal (PPP), Nova Riyanti Yusuf (PD), Iwan Dwi Laksono (PKB), dan Asep Supri (PAN). Kecuali Rama, mereka adalah caleg muda yang baru kali ini maju di pemilu legislatif.
Diskusi yang dilakukan di RM Koetaradja, Jakarta, itu khas semangat muda. Selain mengadu visi, masing-masing caleg saling meledek dan menyindir. Bahkan, masa lalu para caleg sebagai aktivis pun diungkit-ungkit.
Rama Pratama, misalnya. Sebagai incumbent, aktivis 98 itu dianggap tidak banyak memberikan kontribusi terhadap gerakan kaum muda. Padahal, dia sudah duduk di gedung DPR selama satu periode. ”Kami tidak melihat kontribusi nyata Bung Rama selama ini,” serang Ahmad Wakil Kamal.
Caleg dari dapil XI Jatim (Madura) itu mengatakan, kesejahteraan warga Madura tidak banyak berubah. Padahal, kata dia, potensi pertanian Madura sangat besar. Mulai garam hingga tembakau. ”Bahkan, di Madura ada 40 titik potensial tambang minyak. Saya yakin, potensi negeri Madura bisa bersaing dengan Jawa,” tegasnya.
Namun, Wakil Kamal rupanya mengalami ”keseleo” lidah. Dia salah menyebut Pulau Madura menjadi negeri Madura. Hampir bersamaan, beberapa caleg itu pun meneriakinya, ”Madura Merdeka!”
Sejumlah kritik dan serangan tak luput ditujukan kepada Budiman Sudjatmiko. Ketika pemaparan visi dan misi, mantan pendiri dan ketua Partai Rakyat Demokrat (PRD) yang beberapa kali mengutip perkataan mantan Presiden Soekarno itu juga tak luput dari serangan. Rama yang mendapat giliran selanjutnya pun menyindir ketua umum Relawan Perjuangan Demokrasi (Repdem) itu. ”Dulu yang dikutip banyak dari Marx, sekarang kok lebih banyak Soekarno,” sindirnya.
Menanggapi hal itu, Budiman pun berkilah. Dia mengatakan, Soekarno juga memiliki komitmen pada kaum marhaen. ”Lagi pula, siapa sih pemimpin Indonesia yang saat masa mudanya tidak berhaluan kiri. Kalau pendiri negeri ini tidak kiri, sekarang kita masih dikuasai penjajah. Sjahrir, Hatta, bahkan Nasir pun dibesarkan dengan ideologi kiri,” katanya.
Sember: http://www.jpnn.com
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