Wednesday, 9 December 2009, is International Anti-Corruption Day. The day is marked for protest. This is not all that surprising in light of the recent, and ongoing, Cicak vs. Buaya fiasco and the ever-present Bank Century scandal. There is still enough corruption in Indonesia to warrant a demonstration on most days, let alone only on international anti-corruption day.
Poor old Mr. President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono or SBY to his friends, has suggested in a fit of paranoia that the protest or demonstration is not really in support of anti-corruption efforts but rather has been hijacked by his political opponents as a means of scoring some cheap political points. Awwww schucks Mr. President, it is nothing personal, it is called democracy and freedom of speech and freedom of expression. People in democracies feel comfortable and free to express their views in the form of demonstrations.
Maybe the photo above is an indication of how paranoid the President feels at the moment on the finger scale.
The fact that they feel free and safe enough to do it in Indonesia must be exploited by you! You need to get your PR people on this thing straight away and get them spinning it for all it is worth. "Look, under my watch democracy in Indonesia has thrived, and people believe that they are safe, so safe in fact that the feel comfortable in protesting about the one thing that is going to be my legacy, anti-corruption".
But instead, and as he is prone to do, the President has missed the moment. This is another one of those post-Marriott / Ritz-Carlton hotel bombings where the president has decided that the emphasis needs to be on him rather than the issues at hand. Pretty sad really that the President is seeking to silence his critics in this way.
The cold hard reality for the President, his family, his party, and any other associates is this; if they are clean and corruption free then there is absolutely nothing to worry about when a group gets together and wants to demonstrate about the failures they perceive to be occurring on the eradication of corruption front.
It is interesting that the President is all for freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of association when it does not disturb national stability or law and order, yet, he was more than happy to stand by and let the "investigation" run its course in the attack on the KPK and two of its commissioners. Sounds like wanting to have one's cake and eat it too!
Perhaps it is time that the President worried more about governing than a few demonstrators getting together to celebrate International Anti-Corruption Day.
There is more to leadership than winning an election!
(Photo can be found here)
5 comments:
This is the moment when I say, "I told you so" to all the people who voted for this wimp.
He should step down immediately to prevent further embarassment from his own self.
Yes, he is
he gave speech like a paranoid or he just want to be a victim, as usual, and people start to pity him?
Therry...
Indeed it is! :D
Nah, he is a little too egotistical to step down for the public good.
Shintawati...
If the people bought it, then what can I say? You get the president that you voted for.
Rob,
I am not going to comment on this, otherwise you would say that I am pro-SBY.
Harry...
Aren't you? ;)
There is no harm in commenting in defense of the big guy. You are entitled to an opinion and have the freedom to share it, if you want.
You already know what I think about the big fella. So, what do you have to lose? :D
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