Aside from the fact that the issue is a matter of debate, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s statement that a monarchy in Indonesia is unlikely because it contradicts the constitution and democracy, is entirely correct. Given the ongoing “cold war” raging between President Yudhoyono and Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, the statement, not surprisingly, sparked a major storm.

Debates are not banned in a true democracy, and demonstrations against