Indonesia 2004 - 2009 :

VISION FOR CHANGE

Preface

On these days the history of Indonesia is in

the making: for the first time the nation
will directly choose its president. Naturally,
within this new political structure the role
of presidency will become much more
important than it used to be.
Result of surveys conducted by
respectable research agencies reveals that
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is one of the
most credible president candidates. The
quality that distinguishes him from other
candidates is his clear vision on the future
of Indonesia.
This book contains his speech delivered in Singapore on May 26, 2004, in a
conference hosted by Institute of Defense
and Strategic Studies (IDSS), The Straits
Times, and Nanyang Technological

iii

University. It is supplemented with two

articles appeared in The Straits Times the
day after.
We hope this document will become
an important source of information for
academic purposes as well as policy formulations.

Brighten Press

iv

Contents

I. Introduction 1
II. Change for The Better 3
III. Prosperity 6
IV. Peace 15
V. Justice and Democracy 21
VI.What I Believe in 30

Q & A 33

Article 39

Vision for Change

I
Introduction

Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to the Institute for Defense and

Strategic Studies (IDSS) and The Straits
Times for inviting me here today to speak
about
Presidential
Elections
in
Indonesia. As I look around this room, I
see so many important officials and prominent citizens of Singapore in this forum. I
am touched to know that you have keen
interests in my countrys elections,
although of course that is hardly surprising
given that the destinies of our nations are
so closely intertwined.
I have been asked to speak about my
vision, hopes and aspiration for Indonesias
future. I welcome this invitation because
this is exactly what I have been communi-

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

cating to the Indonesian electorate in the

last few weeks. Mind you, on the campaign trail, I did it in a slightly different
way. At campaign rallies all over the country, the Indonesian people not only wanted to meet me and to hear my vision, they
also wanted to see me sing, something
which I was always happy to oblige. I
think the campaign certainly has brought
out a musical side I never knew I had. My
wife said that I have been transformed
from a musical politician to become a
political musician.

Vision for Change

II
Change for The Better

In the past few weeks, I have been campaigning throughout Indonesia to speak
about one thing : perubahan or change.
And I have to admit, I am amazed to
see how this theme of change has struck
a cord with the tens of thousands of
Indonesians I met on the road, from Jakarta
to Medan, Lombok to Kupang, Semarang
to Pandeglang. The millions of votes that
Partai Demokrat has received from all over
the country is a testament to the peoples
yearning for perubahan, for change.
This years vote results tell us that
Indonesians have not changed their minds
about reformasi. What they are telling us is
that they continue to have faith in reformasi, but they are worried that the prom-

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

ises of reformasi are not being kept. They

worry that the countrys future is going in
the wrong direction, that the present is not
much better than the past.They worry that
as stakeholders of this great nation, they are
becoming increasingly marginalized in our
countrys political development. You do
not have to wait until the last votes are
counted to feel this public mood.
That is why when speaking of
change, I must specify that I am talking
about change for the better. Change itself is
easy. But change for the sake of changing is
useless. And no one wants to change for
the worse.
What we need is a change for the better. A better government. A better governance. A better society. A better political
culture. A better environment. A better
future.And that is why I decided to run for
the President of Indonesia, because I truly
believe in that Indonesia can do better, can
be better, and deserves better.

Vision for Change

The most difficult thing for any nation

to do is to reinvent itself, and to adapt to
evolving circumstances.To change the way
we govern. To change the way we present
and carry out leadership. To change the
way we conduct politics. All these changes
will remain a challenge for our great
nation for years to come.
But change is necessary because otherwise Indonesia cannot reclaim its greatness. Change is necessary because if we
continue on like this, Indonesia will
descend into decay. It is often said that
Indonesia is a very difficult country to
govern. But I have also found that this
complex nation has very simple needs.
When all is said and done, Indonesians
aspire to have three very basic things: prosperity, peace, as well as justice and democracy. Yes, prosperity, peace, justice and
democracy.
Let me elaborate on each of these
themes.

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

III
Prosperity

There is no doubt that Indonesia is recovering from the financial crisis which began
in 1997.We welcome the macro-economic stability which now characterizes our
economy. Our GDP growth is expected to
be 4.5 per cent, inflation is a modest 5 per
cent, and the budget deficit is less than 2
per cent of GDP.
But we must give credit where credit is
due, and the recovery is underway largely
because of ordinary Indonesians, who,
despite painful economic reforms, continued their small businesses and generated
consumer spending that is boosting the
economy.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the
way, a disconnect happened.The macro-

Vision for Change

indicators are not mirrored in the microeconomic picture. People are complaining
that the costs of basic education have risen
sharply. So have the costs of telephone
calls, electricity, construction materials.
Clearly, the big numbers are not reflected
down to the small people.
And concerns about legal certainty and
reduced competitiveness have prevented
foreign direct investment from coming in
great numbers.
There is therefore something artificial
about the prosperity that we are seeing
now. Despite the macro-economic numbers, the feel good factor is not there.
While we are certainly better off today
than we were three years ago, the question
is: why are we not MUCH better off today
than we should be?
We need higher growth of at least 7
per cent, because it is only with higher
growth that we can improve the welfare of
our people, provide them better education,

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

and better healthcare. These are the foundations of our future and our childrens
future.
I am fully aware that my critics sometimes say that I make nice-sounding
speeches about my vision for change but
do not have the plans and programs to
back them up. But I am here before you to
present some of my plans should I become
President. I am here to talk about concrete
measures, and not just ideas and ideals.
For example, with unemployment
reaching 10 per cent in some regions,
Indonesia needs more jobs. As President, I
will support more small and medium business enterprises, because they will provide
more jobs to our communities. My government policies will be friendlier to small
businesses because they have been the
engine of our economic recovery so far;
we need to provide better credit lines for
them so that their enterprises can succeed.
And we need to better teach local govern-

Vision for Change

ments how to improve training facilities for

workers, including our workers who are
sent overseas.
It may be surprising coming from a
former general, and I know all the jokes
out there about military officers running
failed businesses, but I do understand the
needs of the business community. When I
was Minister of Mines and Energy, I regularly met with businessmen and potential
investors who told me what Indonesia
needs for higher growth. And they all told
me the same thing : in order to attract foreign investment, we must improve the legal
structure, improve transparency, improve
our openness to global trade and investment, and improve the skills of our people.
So how do I plan to tackle all these
challenges? Firstly, human resources development should be a top priority, as are the
creation of better infrastructure and market-friendly policies. I will strive to
improve the budget for public works, mass

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

transportation projects, and other important infrastructures, mostly on rural and

agricultural infrastructures as well as ruralurban linkages infrastructure. We will find
innovative and efficient ways for building
these projects. State-owned enterprises
should be made more efficient. Our tender
process should also be more transparent.
We must streamline the bureaucracy for
setting up businesses, making it easier for
investors to invest. And our labor laws
must be improved so that employers and
employees have equal protection, and
communication channels between businesses and labor unions run smoothly. Our
tax collection policies also must become
more transparent, fair, and effective.
And after sitting in traffic jams once
too often, I have become a firm believer in
the good of effective public transport, be
they rail-based or subway projects.
Economic growth simply cannot take off if
everyone spends too much of their time

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Vision for Change

stuck in traffic! Infrastructure development

is a real key.
Indeed, investors will flock to places
where they know their investment will
safely prosper, so we must build the best
possible environment for investors. Like
the American actor Kevin Costner said in
that baseball movie, if you build it, they
will come.
In all my meetings with the business
community, they always stress the importance of the rule of law, and they are
absolutely right. From my experience as
Coordinating Minister for Politics and
Security, I have learned that the rule of law
is vital in any situation, be they pertaining
to business interests or national security.
And I know from this experience that
establishing the rule of law does not happen overnight. But this is one key area
where the President and other leaders in
government and the legislature must lead
by example. As leaders we must provide a

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

good example of clean government as well

as competent government.The well-being
of a nation is a reflection of the quality of
that nations leadership and I aim to lead
this great country to a better state of being.
Lets talk about poverty. My years in
various administrations have allowed me to
travel all over Indonesia, and what I have
seen on my journeys have compelled me
to do something to help the poor. In concrete terms, we must simply allocate more
funds to help the needies amongst us, to
provide them with better basic healthcare
by building more clinics, boosting the
budget for healthcare subsidies, and providing better education for preventive
healthcare. We must make sure that their
children get the education they need to
escape this cycle of poverty; we must
increase the number of scholarships and
boost subsidies for schools in povertystricken communities. We must also
improve our national curriculum, increase

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Vision for Change

the ratio of teachers to students, and

encourage our children to read more by
replenishing school libraries.
Equally important is the need to
increase civic education amongst our communities, so that neighbours can better
turn to each other for help. When I was
younger, I remember that this sense of
gotong royong, of mutual help and support was much stronger, that if your neighbours were in trouble, it was your duty to
assist them. But somehow in our journey
as a nation, this sense of community has
weakened along with our sense of empathy towards one another. Some became
greedy, and became more concerned with
our individual well-being rather than the
well-being of the whole community. I
want to help change all this. I want to tell
all Indonesians that if we move forward as
a community, we will not only become
more prosperous but strengthen our
resolve against potential national disinte-

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

gration.
I say this because I am constantly
haunted by the faces I see at campaign rallies. The faces of poor families desperate
for a government that will listen to their
pleas for help. It is for them that I continue with my campaign. It is for them that I
aim to make economic recovery my number one priority in my first hundred days
in office.

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Vision for Change

IV
Peace

But if Indonesias recent history has taught

us anything, it is that prosperity will not
come in the absence of peace or if justice is
ignored. In my line of work, I have seen
how conflicts tear apart communities, saps
the energy of our nation, destroys economic resources and ruins our social capital.
I am fully aware that securing peace
and security in our vast archipelago is not
just a matter of national interests; it is also
an international concern given Indonesias
strategic position.
The threats to peace and security in
Indonesia come in many forms and guises.
But in the near term three tasks will be
most critical.
We need to bring an end to armed

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

separatist movements in Aceh and Papua. I

know this is easier said than done, for
problems in these areas have lingered on
for decades. But I am of the conviction
that the complex problems in Aceh and
Papua can be managed and resolved if we
have a national leadership that is fully
engaged with the problems, and is willing
to pursue creative, constructive policies. I
also believe that we can best undermine
support for separatism through greater
promotion of special autonomy in these
regions. And while we have to put an end
to armed opposition, we must do so while
protecting the rights of innocent civilians.
We also need to end communal conflicts in Maluku, Poso, and elsewhere. This
too will require creativity, constructivisism,
compassion. But as the Malino accord and
other peace processes that I have been
involved in have shown, achieving this end
is not impossible. We need to bring back
harmony to these communities to prevent

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Vision for Change

future destructive actions. We need to

rebuild the infrastructure of these communities so that they may return to their normal lives. I remember seeing in Maluku
how the rebuilding of houses helped ease
the communitys trauma.And most importantly, we must engage these communities
in peaceful discussions in order to discover
and address the root causes of these conflicts.
Indeed, we live in dangerous times,
made ever more dangerous by the growing
threat of terrorism. Indonesia is a victim of
terrorism, and I have spent the last few
years fighting this scourge, in order to protect our people as well as foreigners in our
midst. It has not been an easy fight.
Terrorists by nature work in secret, and
their tentacles are difficult to detect and
track down. But any counter-terrorism
effort must be assisted by a strong legal
framework, which we must improve. I
know from experience as Coordinating

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Minister for Security that strengthening

the capacity of our law enforcement agencies takes time and commitment, but it is
an endeavor that must continually be carried out. Terrorists adapt their strategies
according to changes in the security infrastructure; so must we if we want to catch
them.
I remember vividly the wreckage of
the Bali bombing, I remember seeing
mothers and fathers, husbands and wives,
sons and daughters, weeping from their
loss. I remember promising to myself, I do
not want to see this happen in my country,
or in any other countries, again.
If I am elected President, I will maintain and heighten the intensity of our
counter-terrorism efforts.We are all in this
together, for the sake of our friends and
families, for the sake of our children.
Many communal conflicts are driven
by local issues, but let us not be fooled: our
national politics must provide a better

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Vision for Change

example for our communities. As politicians, we must stop bickering so much

with one another, and agree to common
principles of tolerance. I am adamant that
we must ward off any extremism or radicalism in our formal political landscape.
Indonesias long, varied history is rooted
in tolerance and openness. We have every
potential to become a great modern nation
if we continue this tradition. Peace and
harmony in Indonesia depend on
Indonesians carrying out the principles
established by this countrys wise, founding
fathers. For decades, the core message of
Pancasila, and our strong belief in Unity
in Diversity defined our national identity
and our belief system. We must not leave
these norms behind especially during these
tumultous times; instead we must apply
these principles with greater resolve.
It may seem vague to some audiences,
but I do not think our commitment to
diversity is different than the experience of

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

other countries. Look at our neighbours in

Asia or in Europe. They too have their
ideals of ethnic harmony, religious tolerance, social integration. Achieving these
ideals in these countries as well in our own
country is a continuous work in progress.
As President, I will bridge economic and
social gaps between communities.
That is why we must continually
improve our decentralization process,
addressing weaknesses and flaws as we find
them, bringing in innovative ideas presented by local communities, strengthening the
power of effective local leaders. Only by
sharing ideas and improving on them will
we rebuild the social trust amongst ourselves and between ordinary Indonesians
and their leaders. It is time that leaders stop
looking down at their people and instead
talk to them as brothers and sisters who
have as much interest in making this country the best that it can be.

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Vision for Change

V
Justice and Democracy

I am very much aware that justice is perhaps the most difficult part of my vision,
but without justice, peace and prosperity
will be hard to come by. Yet even in other
countries, even in the most developed
nations, justice is an elusive ideal.
That does not mean that we should
stop trying. Indonesia suffers from the lack
of justice in so many ways. Our nation
continues to be plagued by corruption and
extortion. Ordinary Indonesians have long
learned the hard way that the law sides
with the powerful rather than with them.
Foreign investors have seen once too often
that regulations are not written in stone,
and that at times there is little protection
against greedy officials.

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As President, I aim to change all that.

I will strive to make sure that the rule of
law prevails over the rule of powerful
interests. Like many other Indonesians, I
dream of an Indonesia where everyone is
equal before the law, I dream of an
Indonesia marked by freedom and fairness,
by a respect for human rights. That to me
are the hallmarks of democracy.
Achieving all this will be a continuous
strugglethat I have learned during my
years in government. But step by step, and
with the right political resolve, we can take
our vision closer to reality.
Strengthening the rule of law, for
example, is not impossible. We can further
professionalize and supervise the judicial
system, and reprimand judges and prosecutors who do not abide by the law or show
bias towards or against individuals.We can
also look to our neighbors for cooperation
in the reduction of illegal drug trafficking
and piracy. As President, I will work

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Vision for Change

towards better coordination between

regional governments on these issues.
We must be equally vigilant in our
anti-corruption efforts and enforcement,
strengthening the authority of anti-corruption authorities and regulations. And
we must not forget that corruption is a
social disease requiring the worst punishment that only society can hand out:
shame. So we must continue to encourage
ordinary Indonesians to report and publicise graft wherever they see it, to provide
ample facilities for this reporting.
Indeed, public participation in
strengthening law and order is key, because
our mutual goal towards freedom and fairness requires a mindset shift. Many ordinary Indonesians suffer from an inferiority
complex, feeling that they are just orang
kecil, or little people who dont deserve
much more than what they have.
As President, I want to help communities across Indonesia learn that they

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

deserve more. I want them to know that

public service means service to the public, and not just a few, and demand such a
service from their governments. I want
communities across Indonesia to demand a
simple rule: that nobody is above the law. I
want to remind these little people that
democracy is for the people, by the people.
It is time that the government stops being
afraid of the powerful, and start being
afraid of the little people, because it is
the little people that will put them out of
office.
Let me now speak a little about human
rights. I am here to tell you that I am first
and foremost a simple citizen of Indonesia
who wants my children and grandchildren
to have all the rights that they deserve. As
President, I want to make sure that the
laws respect personal freedoms and rights,
for both men and women, rich and poor,
across Indonesia.
I also feel that my military background

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Vision for Change

gives me a better perspective and position

on how to further reform the military, so
that all our officers and soldiers have a full
respect for human rights. I devoted the last
years of my military career drawing-up a
blue-print for military reforms for the
TNI. For many years, I helped provide
more and more training to our officers and
soldiers on how to implement democracy,
and how to become more professional in
the field.
And allow me to say this about the
Indonesian military: please do not underestimate them. Like many other officers
and soldiers in Indonesia and in other
countries, I myself joined the military
because I was motivated by the desire to
make the country better. That desire
remains, that is why I stand before you
here today. I remember that as a young
officer, you are continually taught about
discipline, about public service, that ones
highest duty is to improve the countrys

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

welfare.Those principles are still taught in

military academies today, and upheld by
many of our young men and women in
the military.
Let me say a few words now about
Indonesias foreign policy. To be sure, foreign policy has not been a focus in
Indonesias elections this year, but it goes
without saying that our national agenda
can be greatly advanced with international cooperation. As President, I will continue to promote Indonesias independent
and active foreign policy. We will project
Indonesia as an open, tolerant, modern,
democratic, outward-looking country
with a strong voice for peace and justice in
the international community. And Indonesia will remind stead fast as a frontline
state in the international fight, and we will
pursue active counter terrorism measures,
nationally, regionally and internationally
against terrorism.
ASEAN will remain the anchor for

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Vision for Change

Indonesias foreign policy. I understand

that the regional order and security architecture will continue to evolve. ASEAN
leaders have signed the Bali Concord II last
year, comprising of 3 pillars the ASEAN
Economic Community, the ASEAN
Security Community, and the ASEAN
Socio-Cultural Communityto be realized by 2020. ASEAN therefore has a clear
vision of where it wants to go, but the
question is how we get there from here.
ASEAN will need to maintain its cohesion
and dynamism in order to manage an
increasingly challenging regional order.
All ASEAN countries should have a strong
sense of ownership of each of the 3 pillars
of the ASEAN Community. And ASEAN
will need to adapt itself internally as well as
externally effectively if it is to enhance its
role in this fluid and volatile international
situation of today.
In all this, I hope Indonesia and
Singapore will continue to have a strong

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

relationship. Singapore has a unique, special place in Indonesias foreign policy.

Singapore is our key trading partner and an
important source of foreign direct investment. Singapore is the most developed
country in Southeast Asia, it has the most
international outlook, and is the most
connected to the global economy. And as
a close neighbor, Singapore has always
shown a willingness to go the extra-mile
to help Indonesia in times of difficulty.
Both Indonesia and Singapore have an
interest in maintaining stable, strong, cooperative relationship.This will be particularly needed to resolve the outstanding issues
in our bilateral relationship, such as the settlement of the maritime boundaries, and
the extradition treaty. There is great interest in Indonesia to see the early resolution
of these issues, and how we resolve these
issues will test our diplomatic creativity. I
also hope to see Indonesia and Singapore
working ever closer to deal with regional

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issues, to promote ASEAN cooperation,

and, given our respective resources, to
advance the interests of our region in
international affairs.

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

VI
What I Believe in

I have spoken at length about my vision for

change. But my vision of prosperity, peace,
and justice and democracy, is not just my
vision. For these three objectives were the
basic promises of Reformasi. Ordinary
Indonesians went to the polls in the 1999
elections because they believed their leaders
would deliver these promises.
Now, I know I am not Superman, I
dont have magical powers to make all
these things come true overnight. But I do
believe in hard work, and in the absolute
necessity of good governance. I believe in
working hard towards achieving what you
believe in. And these are the things I
believe in: a modern, democratic, outwardlooking, open and tolerant Indonesia. I

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believe in integrity, I believe in ethics.

Some may criticise me for this, but I
believe in prudence, I believe in clear,
rational judgement. And I believe in
friendship between nations, in open dialogue with world leaders about the problems we face today as a global community.
Most importantly, I believe in faith and
hope. I believe that with firm commitment, we together can make our objectives
come to life, step by step. What is vital is
that the people keep their faith in government and in themselves, that they continue to believe that Indonesia can change
for the better. As President, I will work
day and night to keep their faith alive, to
make the people believe in leadership
again, to make ALL Indonesians believe in
hope again. Remember, I am a former
military man who knows what happens
when we dont get the job done : we get
sent back to cleaning up the toilet !
Thank you very much.

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Thursday, May 27, 2004

Page A2

Q&A

Former general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

fielded questions ranging from corruption and
economic growth to the forming of coalitions.
Here are excerpts from his question-and-answer
session yesterday.
Weeding out corruption
Fighting corruption is an unfinished
agenda. It must be done top-down.
Leaders set an example. Law and regulation will have to be fully implemented.We
have to empower the institutions that have
been built to fight corruption.We have to

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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

invite civil society to be part of the national campaign to fight corruption.

Rumours that he will back syariah laws
It is untrue. I am fully committed to the
spirit and substance of the Indonesian
Constitution. I support the concept of pluralism. We have built a national consensus
that we will not accept the syariah laws in
our Constitution and I will follow the
Constitution.
If I am elected, I will abolish all discriminating policies that are based on ethnic or other identities. We have to respect
diversity.

China products threatening local industry

To solve the problem, we have to improve
our own competitiveness, our productivity.
We have to improve the management to
be able to compete. Of course we will have
bilateral agreements.We also have to make
sure our products are marketed well.

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Best man for the job

During my campaign I never attacked the
policy and the performance of the administration because I had been part of it for
4 years.
Ms Megawati has achieved many
things. But the country is still facing many
more problems that need to be solved.
Having been part of the government, I
know the culture, rules of the game and
the decision-making process. If I am elected, I have to improve the situation with
more effective governance.
I will convince my people that I could
be stronger (than my opponents) by offering solutions based on my experience,
knowledge and my understanding of problems faced by Indonesia.

Fighting destructive ideologies

...We have to try to understand better the
root causes of terorrism. We have to conduct very intensive exercises to deter and

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defeat terrorism by adopting a sound

legal framework, improving capacities,
conducting intensive operations by the
intelligence and the police and last, but not
least, by fostering cooperation bilateral
and regional.
We have to address the root causes of
the problem. Radicalism can pave the way
for the act of terorrism.
We will not let the people be hijacked
by the radicals or by their actions. There
are many religious leaders in Indonesia
who can play a role to moderate the minds
of people of Indonesia.
And the government has to support
the empowerment of these true religious
leaders. At the same time, the government
has to take effective action if there is a violation of the law done by the radicals and
extremists.
Strategy to win support in Parliament
If I am elected, then forming a coalition

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is the solution for me to maintain sustainability and stability.

So if am elected, I will take one or two
political partners. Though the Democratic
Party is the fourth-largest party, we have to
form a coalition because we have 57 seats
in a 550-member house. That is not
enough.
Dealing with human rights abuse
I respect the rule of law, the supremacy of
law. We dont want to close any legal or
human rights case. There are cases for the
East Timor incident, the case for Aceh and
other cases. I will support the continuation
of the process.This must be done fairly and
according to our Constitution, laws and
other conventions. We have to pursue the
legal process.

Military reform
I led 38 generals to draw a blueprint and
I led two years of military reforms. The

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essence of military reform is quite clear

they should abandon the dual role and get
back to professionalism.
It is quite clear that the Indonesian
military has to stop playing politics, has to
respect democratic rights and practices,
human rights and our Constitution.
In the face of defeat
I will support the elected president. I will
be a good citizen and contribute to
nation-building.

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Thursday, May 27, 2004

Page 4

Bambang says hes

most suited for top job

Laying out his vision, he cites his years of experience to back his claim that he is best placed to
lead his country forward
By DERWIN PEREIRA
INDONESIA BUREAU CHIEF

PRESIDENTIAL frontrunner Susilo

Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday staked his
claim for Indonesias top job as he made
clear his resolve to address the countrys
problems if elected to office.
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Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Outlining his vision for the country

and his credentials to run it, the former
minister in Megawati administration said
that he was the strongest contender for the
presidency, which will be decided in July 5
election.
Speaking at a conference on the
Indonesian presidential election organised
by the Institute of Defence and Strategic
Studies (IDSS) and The Straits Times, he
said:I am stronger than the others because
of my knowledge and experience in government.
He cited his years of service in government, as well as his leadership in reforming
the military and upholding human rights
and democracy, to back his claim to being
the most prepared to lead the country forward.
He made this point in response to a
member of the audience, who asked him
to rate his rival contenders and their
strengths, relative to his.
The 54-year-old Bambang, who is
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Vision for Change

leading in the presidential race according

to several opinion polls, was careful not to
be drawn into mud-slinging his rivals.
Each of the candidates had their
strengths and weaknesses, he said, reeling
off their names, but struggled for a
moment to recall the name of Mr Wiranto,
the other retired general in the running for
the presidency.
Indeed, some observers have billed the
election as a battle of the generals. Both
Mr Bambang and Mr Wiranto are expected to slug it out in the first round.
Some in the Bambang camp, though,
see President Megawati Sukarnoputri as an
even greater challenge given the powers of
incumbency, the Sukarno brand name and
the party machinery at her disposal.
But the four-star general, who quit the
current government in a huff after falling
out with the palace, was more intent on
spelling out his vision as leader of the
worlds most populous Muslim nation.
I am fully aware that my critics some41

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

times say that I make nice-sounding

speeches about my vision for change but
do not have plans and programmes to back
them up. But I am here before you to present some of my plans.
Indeed, compared to most of the presidential candidates, he appeared to have
drawn up a much more detailed agenda to
for resolving Indonesias multi-faceted
problems.
Top of his agenda was the strengthening the rule of law and fighting corruption
a thorny issue that he was the forced to
address periodically when pressed by several members of the audience. He was also
asked what steps he would take to stop
violence in strife-torn provinces.
He said he would try to end armed
separatist movements in the resource-rich
regions of Aceh and Papua. Separatism, he
made clear, was out, but efforts to win over
these restive regions should go beyond
flexing military might.
On the economic front, he aimed to
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Vision for Change

attain economic growth of at least 7 per

cent and bring back much needed investments into Indonesia.
His vision was also aimed at stirring
the economic engine at home. This
included supporting small and medium
enterprises by offering them better credit
lines and cutting bureaucratic red tape for
setting up businesses.
While giving an insight into his plans if
elected, he made clear that it was not going
to be a cakewalk.
I know I am not Superman. I dont
have magical powers to make all these
things come true overnight. But I do
believe in hard work and in the absolute
necessity of good governance.
Change is necessary... That is why I
decided to run for the presidency because
I truly believe that Indonesia can do better, can be better, and deserves better.

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