POLITICAL INDONESIA

It’s been nine years since Suharto’s falling in May 1998 and Indonesia started the new era of civil life. Preceding Suharto’s falling from his 32-years reign, Indonesia had become one of the worst countries hit by monetary crisis turbulence in 1997 and this economic phenomenon had changed Indonesia in every aspects of its life, in positive way and in negative way.

Nine years and four presidents later, Indonesia still struggles to overcome the damage done by this crisis. Politically, Indonesia now is miles away from a decade ago. Ok, we might not as democratic as what so-called the champion of Democracy, USA, because we are not a liberal state. But we are in the right track to start for a much more democratic life. A free election, freedom of speech, freedom to gather, and many other freedoms, now, have become a practical discourse in Indonesian daily life, not just a theoretical discourse as before.


Of course, life has changed a lot in the last decade. The last time Indonesia had more than three political parties was in 1973, but now more than forty political parties participate in two general elections after 1998, in 1999 and 2004. The increasing number of political parties in Indonesia shown that seed of democracy has grown rapidly but this circumstance also creates more problems where the winning party will have a little chance to win the election as the sole winner. To form a strong government the winning party should form a coalition power to have a proper parliamentary support in each and every policy it will make.

This reality force the new president to think more of his or her political support from a fragile coalition than to think of the actual necessity when it is time to choose person in his or her cabinet. The political bargain in forming the new cabinet may cause instability in the cabinet itself because we cannot put aside the possibility of double loyalty of the person chosen to fill the position in the cabinet. In one hand, the person has to pledge of loyalty to the president and the state but in the other hand he or she also has to show their loyalty to his or her party. And this double loyalty in one point will face the person in conflict of interest.

We can observe this kind of political bargain in the recent cabinet reshuffle. Most of the people chosen are politicians from party which is part of the ruling coalition. Their political support is more important than their capability to run the government.

The other thing is that more than fifty percent of people taking part in active politic in Indonesia have relation with the old regime. This relation influenced their way of thinking and acting in political stage. We might see a lot of new faces in national level but in regional and local level, the faces are the same. They might in different vehicle but they are the same person.

In real life situation, regional and local level politicians have more effect and interest to common citizens because these people are the one who interact directly with grass root community. So, whatever political decisions made in the national level, the implementation still rely on much to these people. And most of the violations are happening in this level and most of the time out of reach of our spectacles.

Again, the political reality in Indonesia is not a pleasant scene especially for them who have no claws in it. But still, we can expect that in the near future some more of positive changes will happen in Indonesia. At this time, Indonesia is still in transition period especially in political concern. Many among the people are still dreaming of the golden era in the past when everything was certain as long as people did not try to disturb the power and it’s hegemony or if the person was part of the power. In the past, stability and certainty only on the surface but below the surface, the float of unjust swept away freedom and justice.