Direct election and public welfare<\/p>\n
Tata Mustasya, Jakarta<\/p>\n
After directly electing the President last year, many people
\nhave great expectations of the direct elections of local
\ngovernment leaders, like governors, regents and mayors. It is
\nbelieved that a directly elected local government head would
\nbetter manage public policy as they would have a direct mandate
\nfrom the voters.<\/p>\n
In reality, however, the relationship between democracy and
\nwelfare is not that simple, particularly in the short-run. Indra
\nJ. Piliang (Kompas, March 29, 2005), for example, questioned the
\ngovernment's promotion of the regional elections. In his opinion,
\nthe government should prioritize people's welfare through
\nprograms such as poverty eradication and employment reduction
\nrather than the elections.<\/p>\n
Even in the long-run, democracy does not automatically improve
\npeople's welfare. The mechanism is complicated and strongly
\ndependent on real societal conditions, like the economy and the
\ndistribution of political power. In this context, we must make
\nevery effort to optimize the benefits of the regional leadership
\nelections.<\/p>\n
In his book, The Future of Freedom, Illiberal Democracy at
\nHome and Abroad, Fareed Zakaria distinguished democracy and what
\nhe called constitutional liberalism.<\/p>\n
Many people are under the impression that democracy
\nautomatically improves social welfare. Empirically, however, it
\nis not democracy but constitutional liberalism that has a direct
\npositive effect on government policy and the welfare of the
\npeople. Included in constitutional liberalism is equality before
\nthe law, ownership guarantees and protection, and the division of
\npower into some branches.<\/p>\n
Trends in developing countries have shown different results.
\nDemocracy often fails to create or strengthen constitutional
\nliberalism. Democracy has often resulted in \"bad\" leaders in
\ndeveloping countries.<\/p>\n
The question is, can the direct elections of local government
\nheads -- which requires a huge budget -- improve constitutional
\nliberalism and the people's welfare at a local level?<\/p>\n
There are at least three factors that influence the success of
\nan election.<\/p>\n
First, the strength of the electoral system, rules, and the
\nreadiness of election officers. A poorly orchestrated election
\ncould mean the election of incapable leaders, which would leave
\nthe public worse-off rather than better-off after the election.<\/p>\n
Continuous control and the evaluation of systems and rules is
\ncrucial. If adequate preparations have not been made, delaying
\nthe elections would be advisable.<\/p>\n
The second factor is the distribution of political power and
\nthe economic condition. One of the necessary conditions for a
\nsuccessful election is a strong middle-class presence in the
\nregions.<\/p>\n
A small number of powerful figures could very easily influence
\nvotes in regions where the middle class is a minority. It would
\nbe worse in regions where the population is largely poor. In the
\nregions, voters would choose the richest candidates regardless of
\ntheir competence.<\/p>\n
Third, how significant is the authority of local governments
\nto improve constitutional liberalism and public policy?
\nHigh-profile local government leaders can not govern effectively
\nif they lack authority. In optimizing the benefits of the direct
\nelections, the reduction of regional authority under central
\ngovernment supervision as stipulated in Law No 32\/2004 becomes a
\nserious problem.<\/p>\n
Even without direct elections, some local governments have
\nalready made breakthroughs in achieving good governance. The
\nsuccess of Solok regency in West Sumatra and Jembarana regency in
\nBali, in fighting rampant corruption and in providing better
\neducation and health services are real examples.<\/p>\n
Politically, directly elected regional government heads can
\nalso play a role in the balance of power. This would minimize
\ncentralized power and policies that, based on empirical data, do
\nmore harm than good for local people.<\/p>\n
Because of its importance, all stakeholders should contribute
\nso that the direct elections bring to power competent local
\ngovernment leaders.<\/p>\n
The writer is a researcher at The Indonesian Institute and can
\nbe reached at mustasyat@yahoo.com.<\/p>",
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