Indonesia took another step on its slow and seemingly inexorable decline yesterday when President Abdurrahman Wahid replied to Parliament's February censure motion.
Half-apologetic, half defiant, this was a classic 'Gus Dur' performance. It was also another blow to the optimism that accompanied his election in 1998. The respected religious teacher and liberal politician was expected to outlaw corruption, bring the guilty to justice and usher in a new era of democracy and tolerance.
Yet the relatives of former president Suharto continue to enjoy their ill-gotten gains, apparently with impunity; sections of the archipelago disintegrate into anarchy; Mr Wahid has spent more time overseas than attending to crises at home; and, in a final irony, it is his supporters who now form one of the biggest threats to stability by taking to the streets to defend their beleaguered hero, threatening violence to anyone who opposes him.
If he is to survive the present crisis, with Parliament mulling over the possibility of a second censure vote, it will be by alternately threatening and cajoling members from other parties to toe his line. With rampant corruption in every sector of the community, it may not be difficult to find the necessary support. However, Mr Wahid's tendency to blame his ministers for anything that goes wrong could make that more problematic, even among politicians who are otherwise easily bought.
It is a depressing situation; one that looks likely to defeat even Indonesia's Machiavelli. But no one is writing off the near-blind and ailing President yet. He will not go without a fight, and while Vice-President Megawati Sukarnoputri remains tight-lipped and enigmatic there is no guarantee she can provide the positive leadership Indonesia cries out for. Flawed Mr Wahid may be, but who else in Jakarta can fill his shoes?
