The "cautious reformer" wins in Indonesia
Tuesday, September 21, 2004 at 6:16PM ■"Ex-General Appears to Win By Big Margin in Indonesia," by Jane Perlez, New York Times, 21 September 2004, p. A6.
The key phrase in that headline is "ex-general." When you're Musharraf in Pakistan and you refuse to stop wearing the uniform, that's bad, but taking off that uniform and winning the presidency is fine, so long as it's clear that civilians rule over the uniforms.
Why did General Yudhoyono win? Simple:
The results indicate that Indonesians are yearning for change after three years of lackluster leadership from Mrs. Megawati, who presided over an anemic economy and during whose term a homegrown radical Islamic group carried out three terrorist attacks.General Yudhoyono presented himself as a man of competence who could set things right, though he gave few details of precisely what he would do. He pledged to continue the civilian rule that was established after General Suharto's ouster, and was viewed as more of a reformer than Mrs. Megawati, who largely practiced status quo politics.
As one expert dubbed him, "He's a cautious reformer."
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