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The only real violence reported so far was a disturbance in Surabaya where shots were fired over the heads of a rally, and the burning down of a polling booth in Jakarta where some were prevented from voting.

According to friends of the Rat, the atmosphere in Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, Medan and several other smaller cities and towns was festive and empowering rather than ugly and violent. Polling day was declared a holiday, with polls closing at 2 pm, allowing the people from Medan to Lombok to watch the start of the count in the full transparent daylight.

Initial reports suggest strong support for "Mbak Mega", and the Rupea strengthened on this first major unified show of the Indonesian people's commitment to take responsibility for their own governance. The large number of candidate parties only encouraged Indonesian's themselves to check for themselves that voting was carried out transparently, along with the help of thousands of local scrutineers and a bunch of foreign observers ensconsed, where else, but at the Hyatt.

As stated earlier, the next real tests are how the opposition parties work together synergetically to form a government, whether a positive economic policy can be developed while precious little has been offered by these parties so far, and whether some of the positive reforms introduced under the leadership of Habibie can be consolidated and extended.

The two real issues in this election however, were the 1977 most powerful man in Asia, Soeharto, together with democracy and freedom. A vote for the Reform parties was also a vote against Soeharto and the system of Asian government he represented.

Two years ago, ordinary Indonesians were afraid to discuss politics. A virtual army of Government spooks regularly reported those who expressed dissatisfaction with the ruling Golkar elite, and government servants were sacked for supporting the opposition. Those who dared to advocate a different view were regularly jailed and tortured.

From 2 years ago, you couldn't visit anywhere in Indonesia without being drawn into political discussions. For the first time in almost half a century, politics was the realm of every man, not just a chosen elite.

This election was always going to be about idealism rather than pragmatics. And Megawati gained the most from a sympathy vote for being Soeharto's major protagonist over an extended period and indeed being banned from heading her own party 3 years ago. Megawati also gained from the image of her father Sukarno, who despite his failings was the man who set the ideal of a multi-cultural tolerant Indonesia. Amien Rais, as the precipitator of the student movement that felled the self styled Javanese King, and Gus Dur, the man of the people from bustling Jakarta to the furthest provincial kampung also will be proved to have significant support.

Two recommended sites where you can follow the unfolding post election scenario are:

The Jakarta Post
Asia Society's Special Report on the Indonesian elections

No doubt a significant step forward has been taken for not only Indonesia but also Asia today. The hard work is ahead for Indonesians to prove to doubters from the Straits Times in Singapore to Mahathir in Malaysia, that a successful Asian economy can be built on universal political participation and the free exchange of views. And that in the most diverse and the fourth most populated nation on earth.

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