Tensions have been running high since July 9, 2014 presidential race over mutual claim of victory and alleged election fraud.
Tensions continued despite a decision by the Constitutional Court (MK) confirming the victory of Joko Widodo. Lately rumors have it that there were efforts to thwart the presidential inauguration ceremony scheduled on Monday, October 20, 2014.
But all this abruptly calmed down when President-elect Joko Widodo, better known as Jokowi, visited Prabowo on his birthday on Friday, creating conducive political atmosphere in the run-up to the presidential inauguration.
Both leaders agreed to create and maintain peace and unity in Indonesia. "We agree to maintain the unity of Indonesia, the nations ideology Pancasila, and the Constitution," Prabowo remarked after the meeting at his late fathers house in Jakarta.
Jokowi based on schedule will be installed as Indonesias seventh president along with his running mate Jusuf Kalla (JK) on Monday.
Prabowo revealed that he had urged the members of his Gerindra Party and their coalition parties to support Jokowi in running the government. However, he emphasized that if the coalition felt that a government policy was not in line with the peoples interests then it would not hesitate to raise objection to it.
Political scientist Siti Zuhro of the Indonesia Institute of Sciences (LIPI) said the Jokowi-Prabowo encounter had positive impact on easing political tensions in the run-up to the inauguration of President-elect Jokowi and Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla.
"The two leaders are able to ease and calm down political tensions that have been taking place since the July 9, 2014 presidential elections," stated Siti Zuhro in Semarang, Central Java, on Saturday.
With conducive political atmosphere, the inauguration of Jokowi and JK as president and vice president is expected to run smoothly and securely.
International law professor Hikmahanto Yuwono of the University of Indonesia is also of the view that the meeting will help smooth the swearing-in of the president-elect, thus state officials will be able to carry out their tasks for the glory of the country.
Hikmahanto labeled the encounter as a great event that has to be positively responded to by politicians and the people of Indonesia. The people should not be divided for the sake of the state and nations life.
"This momentum is also very good to iron out grudges which often color the leaders in the state. In the past, hatred among the leaders has served as a stumbling block for Indonesia to advance," Hikmahanto, who acted as the moderator in the third round of the Jokowi-JK and Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa presidential candidate debate, said.
"As the moderator of the third round of the presidential candidate debate, I am touched, proud and happy with the meeting," Hikmahanto said on Saturday.
Hikmahanto is of the view that the two leaders are great statesmen who are able to put aside their respective egoism for the interest of the Unitary State of Indonesia and for the benefit of the people.
"Jokowi, as the winner of the presidential race, was willing to put aside his egoism to meet Prabowo at a place decided by the latter. For many people, this might be a psychological burden. But Jokowi was able to put it aside for the sake of national reconciliation," he said.
The same also happened with Prabowo who, of course, must have felt it was difficult to meet with Jokowi. Moreover, most of his supporters might not yet be able to accept the reality that Jokowi has become the president-elect. Yet, for the sake of the nation and state, Prabowo received Jokowi. He even greeted him with a military salute.
This all helps ease tensions and put an end to rumors of inauguration sabotage.
Earlier, in the wake of rumors of attempt to disturb it, there has been a scenario to organize the inauguration ceremony at night to avoid disturbance.
"There is a special scenario to organize the inauguration at night to reduce the publics participation," Research Center Pusaka Trisakti Chairman Rian Andi Soemarno said in Jakarta recently.
There have been discussions about organizing the inauguration at night to avoid undesired acts, he said. "There is the potential for the inauguration to be postponed causing a power vacuum. This can happen if the Constitutional Court (MK) fails to construe the meaning of several crucial articles in MD3 Law, then some could use them to force their will to postpone the inauguration on October 20," he said.
However, the meeting between Jokowi Prabowo Subianto ended the rumors about attempts to disrupt the presidential inauguration.
"We need to appreciate the meeting between the two leaders as it sets an example that needs to be followed. It has put an end to rumors that there might be an attempt to thwart the inauguration of President-elect Jokowi and Vice President-elect Jusuf Kalla," political observer Nicolaus Pira Bunga of the University of Nusa Cendana (Undana), Kupang, said on Saturday.
Pria Bunga noted that the situation stabilized after Jokowi met with Prabowo, which hints that the inauguration will proceed smoothly, and that there is no need to dramatize it.
Siti Zuharo who is also a senior LIPI researcher shared Bungas opinion saying that the meeting between the two leaders needed to be appreciated.
She said the meeting also eased political tensions between two coalitions supporting the two sides: the Red-and-White Coalition (KMP) which supported Prabowo-Hatta Rajasa Presidential-Vice Presidential pair and the Great Indonesia Coalition (KIH) which supported Jokowi-JK Presidential-Vice Presidential ticket.
"In broader sense, the meeting also provides relief for different communities, societal organizations, media publications, non-governmental organizations and professionals," Zuhro remarked adding that the political encounter of the two leaders deserves appreciation as it sets positive example for politicians.
It should serve as a model for those who are involved in either a presidential race or a regional head election so that they would not perpetuate their rivalries in post elections.
"We can ask the political parties to produce not only politicians but also statesmen," Zuhro said.
In short, a new tradition is needed in national leadership succession where political elite will have positive and mature political behaviors.
"This is important for the people and for the benefit of elections," Zuhro added.
(T.A014/H-YH)
Reporter: Andi Abdussalam
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2014
