Greed and political leadership

AS the Papua New Guinea government is clocking its first 100-plus days – if there is such a word – in power I would like to tell you a story from a country with which we share a land border, our Asian neighbour Indonesia.
On July 21, 2001, Addurrahman Wahid, the first democratically elected president of Indonesia, was impeached by parliament after serving only 22 months of his five-year term as head of the largest Muslim country in the world.
Abdurrahman Wahid, or Gus Dur as his people liked to call him, was a Muslim religious leader and politician who became president of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001.
Gus was impeached because of serious corruption charges involving theft and nepotism.
This is his story.
Addurrahman Wahid was a brilliant, cultured man who loved Beethoven and jazz and an influential public figure, representing liberalism, secular politics and moderate Islam. He came from a wealthy background and received education in universities overseas. He started as a journalist, academic and social commentator.
Charismatic and outspoken, he clashed increasingly with Muhammed Suharto, who had snatched power in 1967. After the dictator was forced to step down, Wahid formed the National Awakening Party and contested the general election in 1999. His party won only 12 per cent of the vote, but political maneuvering saw him elected to the presidency by the national assembly.
At the height of his power President Wahid suffered from the effects of strokes he had earlier in his life and his political career was plagued by ill-health – virtually blind when he took office and was confined to a wheelchair.
Failing health made Wahid a political leader of contradicting principles and philosophies: an Islamic cleric and spiritual leader who promoted secularism, a wily political dealmaker with an erratic and bumbling style, an eccentric intellectual who fell asleep at public meetings – even, on one occasion, he felt asleep in the middle of his own speech in parliament. He signed documents without reading them. This made it possible for those close to Gus, especially his daughter and nephew, to take control of power through him. Land deals and lucrative government contracts went to these two powerful minders who had a hand in almost all major businesses and everything that went on in Indonesia.
Greedy and stingy with money and power his family wanted more and pushed him more into making erratic decisions at the expense of his failing health. His style of leadership became unpredictable and enigmatic. Gus alienated many people who helped him attain power, including, eventually, the political parties on whose support he depended. He failed to address the pressing issue of a crippled economy.
Yet his presidency was a key stage in the transition to democracy and was characterised by brave efforts to atone for the past and to curb the power of the country’s military.
Fast forward to PNG today and this story reminds us that when greed is kept unchecked, the people suffer.

David Lepi, Imbonggu, SHP