A Leader Who Cares

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

President Joko Widodo (right) meets with third president BJ Habibie at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta, Friday (24/5/2019). Besides congratulating the President for his victory in the 2019 presidential election, Habibie also reminded all parties to maintain unity.

In an emotional meeting on May 18, 2004, Sonia Gandhi turned down the position of Prime Minister of India which was offered to her by her followers. In fact, she won the election.Sonia was the leader of the Congress Party which at that time won the election in India. The wife of the late PM Rajiv Gandhi and daughter-in-law of the late PM Indira Gandhi, as reported by The Economist, May 22-28, 2004, chose not to take her right to lead the country of more than 1.1 billion because she was aware of her position. In fact, the leader of the party that wins the election usually becomes the prime minister.

Sonia is not an indigenous citizen of India. She is of Italian descent. Edvige Antonia Albina Maino, Sonia\'s real name, handed the PM\'s chair to economist Manmohan Singh. She realized that if she forced herself to become PM, her background could be continuously questioned by her political opponents and bring India into uncertainty. Indigenous Indians may judge her doing injustice.

Accipere quam facere praestat injuriam. That was the message of the Roman philosopher, Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC), to anyone who becomes a leader. It is better for good and fair leaders to suffer from injustice than do injustice. The fate of the people, the nation, and the state they lead is the most important, not the self-interest or the foremost group.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Vice President Jusuf Kalla (holding microphone) speaks after a meeting with a number of religious leaders and community figures at his official residence on Jl. Diponegoro, Jakarta, on Thursday (23/5/2019) evening. During the meeting they discussed the current political situation that sprang from the announcement of the results of the 2019 election.

Our current expectation is that an attitude as shown by Sonia Gandhi or the message from Cicero can be carried out by any leader or public figure in this country, not only presidential and vice-presidential candidates Joko Widodo-Ma\'ruf Amin or Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno. Only the interest of the people, by not wanting to do injustice to anyone, should be the basis for anyone in the political elite in executing something. Do not add to the burden of the people.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla; the 6th vice president of the Republic of Indonesia Try Soetrisno; the 3rd president of the Republic of Indonesia BJ Habibie; and a number of other figures spread a peaceful and cool tone by carrying out lobbying and political communication. The demonstrations and clashes with security officers, which is how some people addressed the results of the 2019 election, are expected to subside. The closeness, which was shown by the national figures, across various differences, is expected to calm the people and encourage Jokowi and Prabowo, as the center of the current political contestation, to meet and signal brotherhood between them.

Both of them place the interest of the people, the nation, and the state above personal and group interests. Both also provide opportunities for the Constitutional Court to examine and decide on the disputes over the election results in accordance with the facts and prioritize justice.

KOMPAS/HERU SRI KUMORO

Leading figures from the Gerakan Suluh Kebangsaan (National Enlightenment Movement) make a statement in Jakarta on Thursday (5/23/2019) in response to the current political situation, particularly in regards to the rioting that broke out on Wednesday in the capital. The movement called for an end to anarchism and the provocations that disrupted national security, while expressing its support for security forces to take decisive measures to control any further rioting in accordance with existing laws. It also urged politicians to refrain from making remarks that could increase tensions and trigger clashes among members of the public. A number of figures attended, such as Frans Magnis Suseno, Amin Abdullah, Quraish Shihab, Abduk Mu\'ti, Mahfud MD, Alwi Shihab, Komarudin Hidayat, Sarwono Kusumatmadja, Helmy Faisal and Erry Riyana.

A leader must be able not only to care for those he leads, but also to calm, protect, and make prosperity. At the national level, of course those being led are the people. If the leader cannot yet bring prosperity to the people, at least he must be able to manage, calm, and protect the people. Not even to make people angry, emotional, and divided instead.