lekki, what makes you think that Bashir is more than just a bit player himself in a game that perhaps even he doesn't understand. Money and political influence hold ultimate power in Indonesia, not religion. There are many very tough people in the background with a vested interest in a free wheeling economy. Can you seriously see Bashir as a leader of Indonesia? Sukarno was only able maintain his leadership for as long as he did because of the euphoria of independence. Suharto came to power with the backing of the west, but maintained it because he looked after those powerbrokers in the background. Habibie only got there by default and had no political support of his own. Both Gus Dur and Megawati got there as they were considered symbolic, and were put there on the understanding that they were not to interfere in the day to day running of the country, unfortunately they forgot what the agreement was. TSBY, the current president came about by slightly different means but he is also there only because of those who are backing him, not the people who elected him. Bashir might have ambitions of establishing an Islamic nation, but I think will end up as nothing more than a convenient scapegoat when events demand it. If you compare all the problems he has caused to date, they are still fairly minor compared to some of the other political and security crisis that have come and gone over the years. The money and people that matter doesn't leave Indonesia, that has been the general rule over the years and the reason it always bounces back.
