Dialy Lessons from Life 25 July 2009

"Megawati rejects win - Sat, Jul 25, 2009 AFP

JAKARTA (AFP) - INDONESIAN opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri on Saturday rejected President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's landslide re-election win and will challenge the results in court, a spokesman said.

Ms Megawati's campaign will lodge a challenge to the results of the July 8 poll with the Constitutional Court, by alleging widespread irregularities including millions of people left off voter rolls, spokesman Gayus Lumbuun said.

'Because there are still unresolved legal issues, we are rejecting the presidential election results from the KPU (election commission),' Mr Gayus Lumbuun said.

Official results announced by the commission Saturday gave the liberal ex-general Yudhoyono 60.8 per cent of the vote, far ahead of ex-president Megawati with 26.8 per cent and Vice-President Jusuf Kalla with 12.4 per cent.

The Megawati campaign boycotted the official signing of the results at the election commission office.

Mr Kalla's campaign will also launch a Constitutional Court appeal over voter list irregularities, but has not yet decided whether to accept or reject the results, news website Viva News reported.

Dr Yudhoyono, who defeated Ms Megawati in Indonesia's first direct presidential election in 2004 on an anti-corruption platform, is credited with ensuring stability and economic growth."

This is not a very good development for the stability of Indonesia, our biggest neighbours! Hopefully the challenges, which is good and right for a democratic country. At the same time, we have to manage the rivalries and not let it go out of control!

Lessons for me are:

1. democratic voting is fine and the results can be challenged if there are belieif to the contrary that fair and mean treatment were given to all! This is the essense of a democratic voting system!;

2. all leaders MUST be held accountable for ANY actions taken by their supporters during the 'challenge' period. Laws and orders must be abide and maintained. This is especially so just 1 week after the bombings at 2 of the luxurious 5-Star hotels in Jakarta!;

3. with a proven and fair process, supervised by a trust judiciary system, and manned by people with integrity that sworn allegiance to the nation instead of individual.

May Indonesia enjoy stability so that peace and prosperity can come to the people!!