Indonesian President’s Book Leaves Much to Be Desired
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s new autobiography that was released last week will not be everyone’s cup of tea for sure.
But “Selalu Ada Pilihan” (“There Is Always a Choice”) is a must-read book for those who want to read what President Yudhoyono thinks about the duties and limitations of the present and future presidents of Indonesia in the era of Reformation. This is a book for those who want to know what the president thinks of the rumors, scandals and other things that befall Indonesia. This is also a book for those who are interested in knowing what kind of things that can get under the president’s skin — quite a lot apparently.
In fact, the bulk of this book comprises Yudhoyono’s replies to his critics — and he replies to every single accusation, rumor and innuendo ever thrown at him during his 10-year stint in the State Palace.
Written in the style of newspaper opinion columns, this book is entertaining, full of anecdotes, easy to read and accessible. The first part of the book really shines as the president has many thoughtful observations in his analysis of the Reformation era. He discusses how, after the fall of President Suharto and the collapse of the New Order regime in 1998, the powers of the president and central government have been curtailed and how he has to operate under that structure.
In his view, he was hampered by the fact that the Democratic Party held less than a third of the seats in the parliament, limiting his options. He bristles at suggestions that his administration has underperformed, compared to the administration of former President Suharto.
There have been so many expectations about what the president could have done and this book is his answer to those who think that he has failed to perform his tasks.
But there are also many discussions about the perils of uncontrolled decentralization, irresponsible members of the press, and so forth — all genuine problems in the era of Reformation. A large part of Yudhoyono’s analysis hits the mark and reading this book, one cannot help but think that he has been an idealistic president who has been truly committed to democracy and working as best as he could to fulfill his duties. He just wishes that his critics could also understand the limitations inherent to the job before they open their mouths to condemn him with unfair accusations.
At the same time, however, those who really want to know the inner workings of the decision-making process in the Yudhoyono administration will be left wanting and disappointed. There is no in-depth analysis of what critics have labeled an “autopilot presidency,” and we won’t know how exactly the president has tried to achieve his goals in the face of adversity and the constraints of his office.
There is very little in the book that would satisfy students of the policy-making process. There is almost no discussion of what the Yudhoyono administration does or tries to do in face of such structural challenges as an unruly parliament, curtailed presidential powers etcetera.
In most cases, the book glosses over criticism, dismissing it with pithy remarks and anecdotal banter between Yudhoyono and his confidants or anonymous colleagues. In general, the blame is put on disgruntled figures, critics who have unreasonable expectations or irresponsible journalists who exaggerate the seriousness of the situation at hand. Succinctly, the president knows best, critics, lumped together as straw men with ridiculous arguments, just can’t seem to see the whole picture.
By the time the book reaches its conclusion, the reader feels like having spent quite some time in a buffet and is extremely exhausted due to the breadth of material and innuendoes covered. Yet the reader can hardly be satisfied, as this book does not really address the questions that many critics have raised.
This book hopes to address some of the criticisms against Yudhoyono’s administration, but in the end, it will not change anybody’s mind. Supporters of the Yudhoyono administration will love this book for sure, pointing out that the president does care and pays attention to the plight of the people. They will stress the limited powers the Indonesian president has in the Reformation era.
Critics, however, would point at all the anecdotes — some of which are quite distracting, such as when the president mentions that someone used black magic in an attempt to murder him — and say this book is one of a whining president.
It is possible that Yudhoyono is hoping to write in greater detail about his experience as the sixth president of Indonesia in his next book. He may still plan to discuss what he considers missed opportunities, and what he should have done better in retrospect. That would mean this book is simply some sort of appetizer, his early replies to his critics. If that’s the case, then the book has succeeded.
On the other hand, if President Yudhoyono had aimed to use this book as a justification for his administration and a summation for future scholars to evaluate his presidency objectively, then it is hoped that he will do better in his next book.
Yohanes Sulaiman is a lecturer at the Indonesian Defense University (Unhan). Follow him on Twitter:@yohanessulaiman.
