President JokoWidodo (second right) and First Lady Iriana (right) welcomes former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (second left) and Ani Yudhoyono before the start of a ceremony commemorating the Independence Proclamation of the Republic of Indonesia at Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Thursday (17/8). Also present at the event were former presidents BJ Habibie and Megawati Soekarnoputri, as well as high-ranking state officials.
It is still fresh in the spirit of commemorating Indonesia’s 72nd Independence Day anniversary that enlivening the unity of the diversified nation is a necessity.
The annual celebration at the State Palace, which began with a reading of the nation’s Proclamation of Independence, was attended by high-ranking officials dressed in traditional attire, sparking the spirit for uniting the nation.
We are grateful that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla were able to gather the nation’s former presidents — namely BJ Habibie, Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono — and also vice presidents. The State Palace became a shelter for all the children of the nation.
The meeting of the leaders was praised amid cynicism on social media, amid communication that is frequently colored by verbal violence in the digital era. The spirit to unite the children of the diversified nation must be continuously voiced.
In order to settle the problems of the nation, such as social inequality, poverty, distrust of the law, polarization within communities and rampant corruption, the unity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia is needed. Sincere communication among the children of the nation and the political elite is needed.
The need for unity reached momentum with the 2017 SEA Games in Malaysia, the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, simultaneous regional elections in 171 regions in 2018 and simultaneous general elections in 2019. The spirit of the SEA Games and Asian Games is the spirit of competition in the field of sports.
Jakarta for the second time will play host to the Asian Games, which is Indonesia’s chance to demonstrate the skills of our people to all of Asia, even the world. All parties must be united for Indonesia to succeed in the Asian Games, in both its implementation and accomplishment, which are only months away.
The spirit of unity does not mean we must always be in unison with the government, without allowing differences of opinions. Different opinions based on rational argumentation in the framework of the Constitution is a necessity in democracy. Criticism is the soul of democracy.
This the appropriate momentum for the nation to move forward, not only in the 2017 SEA Games, 2018 Asian Games and the direct presidential election in 2019, but also to set the foundation of the nation to face the 100th year of the Republic of Indonesia on Aug. 17, 2045, within the next 28 years.
With a population estimated to reach 309 million at that time, this nation has to be able to win the global competition.
