Democratization developing fast enough: Expert<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Political scientist Amir Santoso maintains that
\nthe democratization process in Indonesia is moving at a healthy
\npace, despite the country's relatively small middle class.<\/p>\n
He argued that compared to the 1970s, the pace of
\ndemocratization is far swifter in the 1990s, thanks in no small
\npart to the active participation of the middle class and pro-
\ndemocracy movements.<\/p>\n
\"There can be no democracy without a middle class, and the
\nmove towards democratization has been accelerating in recent
\nyears,\" said the lecturer of the University of Indonesia's School
\nof Social and Political Sciences.<\/p>\n
Amir was commenting on remarks made by Professor Ingrid Wessel
\nof Germany who said that the pace of democratization in Indonesia
\nwas progressing at a languid pace.<\/p>\n
In an interview with Antara in Berlin last week, the dean of
\nSoutheast Asian studies at Humboldt University, said that the
\ndemands for democratization is moving slowly due to the thin
\nranks of an established middle class.<\/p>\n
The pro-democracy movement in Indonesia is limited to a small
\ngroup in the middle class and has hardly touched those in the
\nlower class, she said.<\/p>\n
The middle class is widely considered in academic circles as
\nthe catalyst for progress, change and democracy.<\/p>\n
Amir rejected Professor Wessel's view, saying that despite its
\nsize, the middle class in Indonesia continues to play a
\nsubstantial role.<\/p>\n
\"This is proven by the increasing trend towards political
\nopenness, press freedom, freedom of discussion and seminars,\"
\nsaid Amir who is also director of the Institute for International
\nand Strategic Analysis.<\/p>\n
He noted that the freedom allowed now would have been
\n\"unimaginable\" in the 1960s or 1970s.<\/p>\n
He maintained that the relative size of Indonesia's middle
\nclass is not indicative of the pace of change evolving in the
\ncountry.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian middle class is on the rise, according to Amir.<\/p>\n
This is indicative in the growing number of intellectuals who
\nare extremely rational, democratic, slightly secularist, with a
\nhigh awareness of human rights, environmental concerns and the
\nrule of law, he argued.<\/p>\n
\"With the ascendancy of bourgeois figures, democracy is
\nblossoming,\" said Amir, while pointing to the political
\ncontributions by this class in Taiwan and Thailand as examples.<\/p>\n
Despite this fact, he did acknowledge the need for
\nbureaucratic involvement to further accelerate the process.<\/p>\n
He added that the role of the political elite is another
\nnecessary element.<\/p>\n
\"It is not enough for the democratization process to be
\npropelled by the middle class alone, without the vital help of
\nthe state,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Apart from commenting on the sluggish pace of democratization,
\nProfessor Wessel also pointed out that the intellectual community
\nin Indonesia is divided into two schools of thought.<\/p>\n
The first group is demanding a democracy which embraces
\nchanges to the current system if necessary, including the
\nrevamping of the 1945 Constitution and the creation of a new
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
The other group seeks change through adjustments and
\nmodifications by means of consensual deliberations, and the
\npossibility of limiting presidential terms.<\/p>\n
Betraying a conservative stance, Amir strongly feels that
\ndemocratization or other political transformations should not
\nlead to the revision of the present system.<\/p>\n
\"I am part of the group which believes the current system and
\nmechanisms should be preserved with some modifications,\" he said,
\npointing out that \"radical change is not part of our culture.\"
\n(mds)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/democratization-developing-fast-enough-expert-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}