INDONESIA is entering an exciting time. This republic, as it nears its 60th birthday, is on the threshold of a different political life. In 2004, for the first time the people will directly choose their head of state—something people in Nusantara have not experienced since the time of Majapahit.

It is true that the republic has had five presidents. But in 1945 Sukarno was chosen by the members of the Preparatory Committee for Nationa