Jumat, 13 Januari 2012

Will the upcoming election deliver peace in Aceh?


Will the upcoming election deliver peace in Aceh?
Yulius P. Hermawan,  A LECTURER AT THE DEPARTMENT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS, PARAHYANGAN CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY IN BANDUNG
Sumber : JAKARTA POST, 13 Januari 2012



The recent shootings and alleged arms shipments into Aceh show that the agenda of peace in Aceh is not yet complete. It has been more than five years since the Helsinki accord was signed by the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) leaders and Indonesian government representatives, but that may still be too short a period to establish peace in the so-called verandah of Mecca.

Every Aceh citizen has to recognize that the road to permanent peace is long and there are still many costs to pay until it is fully established. Great passion is certainly needed, or else Aceh will turn into a killing field once again.

What makes the peace process take so long, while the risk is so high?

There are many factors that affected the process of conflict resolution after the agreement was signed. Many scholars argued that the key factor was the extent to which the former conflicting parties complied with the peace agreement. Respect towards the memorandum of understanding, the political pact, the security pact and other instruments agreed through negotiation or mediation is a must if all parties want to secure peace.

In many respects, both the government and former GAM leaders have done a lot to implement the agreement. The Indonesian government enacted the Law on the Government of Aceh No. 11/2006, even though for many Acehnese the contents of the law did not fully adopt the peace agreement. The government also withdrew a significant number of military personnel from Aceh and allowed formation of local parties as part of the province’s special autonomy status.

On the other hand, former GAM combatants understood that the use of violence was already obsolete. To win the new political battle, they had to follow the democratic rules of the game. Political parties were seen as the only vehicle, instead of guns and bullets, for winning the political competition. They have demonstrated enough enthusiasm to learn these new values. The compliance paid dividends when the Aceh Party (PA) won the most seats in the 2009 legislative election.

I can feel how frustrated the party leaders are in responding to the amendment of the regulation on gubernatorial candidates, which allows aspirants to run independently and thus allows the party to lose full control of the nomination process. Independent candidates have been recognized since the inaugural Aceh gubernatorial election in 2006, which was won by Irwandi Yusuf, a former GAM combatant who contested as an independent candidate.

One of the reasons behind the former GAM leaders’ objection is Irwandi’s bid for reelection. The former GAM leaders were obviously unhappy with the governor who failed to cooperate with them during his first term in office.

Yet it is the political bargain that they have to consider seriously if they wish to have their dignity respected by the nation and the international community. This is not much of a choice but a compulsion to adopt.

As an Indonesian, I can easily understand why the government blessed the candidacy of Irwandi even though no party promoted him officially. For this purpose, the amendment of the regulation is thus necessary to make way for the incumbent governor.

Politics is always a product of bargaining among power holders. It is difficult to learn, but unfortunately there is no room to show objections. The European Union has reportedly shown the international community’s support for the amendment. The support has left no room for former GAM leaders to show their strong objections.

Of course, the core reason behind the Indonesian government’s blessing is the lack of trust. From the Indonesian government’s perspective, former GAM leaders still cannot satisfactorily answer the big question of whether Aceh will remain a part of Indonesia in the future.

The Helsinki agreement formally provided a final answer. Yet curiosity and anxiety continue to haunt Indonesian leaders. The alleged arms shipment obviously will only worsen the situation.

The Aceh Party itself has made intentional maneuvers that lead to the rise of more curiosity on the Indonesian government side. The nomination of Zaini Abdullah and Muzakir Manaf, both former prominent GAM leaders, can be easily perceived as a serious bid to realize their hidden agenda.

For the party, democracy has become new political means to prove that its presence is well recognized locally and internationally. Its victories in national and regional elections evinced the increasing political recognition of former Aceh combatants.

For Jakarta, democracy is a means to consolidate its control over the land. The local elections in Aceh should be held democratically and should ensure that the territory remains under Indonesian control no matter who wins. This can only be guaranteed if the elected governor, mayors and regents are unquestionably committed to the unitary state of Indonesia.

We therefore have to acknowledge that both former GAM leaders and Jakarta have not fully undergone fundamental changes of attitude and of values of peace. Different views of the meaning of elections can affect the overall process of peaceful transformation. The former conflicting parties fail to perceive each other as potential partners for peace.

I will agree with Acehnese colleagues arguing that the road is still very long and rocky. For Aceh, whatever road it takes, the most important thing is how the people in Aceh can immediately enjoy “Seujahtra lahe baten” (truly spiritual and material wealth) in their own land.

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