Indonesia heading for elections

It is a huge country, expanding over several timezones. To picture it for our readers outside of Asia, it is as big as if you would take a plane in Lonon and fly down to turkey. That's how big the country is and that's also a showing for its diversity. Over 220 million inhabitants, and 147 million Indonesians are called for in the elections.

Indonesia needs stability - urgently. Okay, the Rupiah, its currency, stabilised under the rule of Megawati, the current president, - it is now 1 US$ to Rp. 8,700, and so has inflation, which stands at about 7%. That is great, considering that the rate was once US$1 to Rp. 20,000, during the economic crises, some years back, and inflation was kind of running for a long time. But to blame the economic crisis on its current situation - tremendously high poverty level, high un- and underemployment, declining Foreign Direct Investment - is wrong - this is nearly 7 years back! Korea has made it out of it, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia as well!

So what is wrong with Indonesia? May be it is the flip flop over privatisation issues that bogged down the country, the general uncertainty over security issues - think about the bombings in Bali and the hotel bombing in Jakarta. Think about riots on the roads in Jakarta, and the killings in the Moluccas. Think also about corruption, and the surroundings of how Megawati came to power.

This doesn't give the stability, the country needs urgently, and that the President is only elected in a couple of months after the current election let us assume that to reach the goal of stability is still a long walk.

(By Asia Business Consulting)