Foreign policy issues in presidential election<\/p>\n
Shafiah Fifi Muhibat, Jakarta<\/p>\n
As campaigns for the July 5 presidential election escalate,
\ncandidates fiercely compete for attention. Ideas have been
\nraised, policies have been proposed, and promises have been made.
\nHowever, personality rather than policy is expected to be the
\nmajor feature of the campaigns, since no candidate has presented
\ncoherent political or economic policies.<\/p>\n
Neither have platforms been comprehensively formulated to
\nactually offer alternative solutions to the country's ongoing
\nproblems. This lack of attention is particularly obvious in
\nrelation to foreign policy issues. The candidates' Vision,
\nMission, and Program collected by the General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) hardly embrace foreign policy issues.<\/p>\n
The candidates' agendas may list a large number of domestic
\npriorities, but very few on foreign policy. This is due to the
\nfact that citizens (i.e. the voters) are more interested in
\ndomestic issues that directly impact their lives, such as
\nwelfare, health, and education. International issues are regarded
\nas something "foreign" and the sole concern of the country's top
\nleaders.<\/p>\n
The term "foreign policy" is still considered distant from the
\ngeneral public's day-to-day lives and to have no direct
\nsignificance for them. With this view, it can be understood why
\npeople in most countries, including Indonesia, prefer to leave
\nall foreign policy decision-making activities to their
\ngovernments.<\/p>\n
Deliberately or not, the lack of public attention toward
\nforeign policy issues is aggravated by the centralization of the
\nforeign policy decision-making process at the top level.
\nTheoretically, the conduct of foreign-policy makers -- whose
\nprincipal aim is to safeguard the nation's security -- requires
\nthe concentration of executive power. In the international -- or
\nstate -- system, in which each state is its own protector and
\nmust rely primarily on its own resources and strengths, the chief
\nexecutive is considered the defender of national interests.<\/p>\n
In this regard, both the citizens and the policymakers
\ncontribute to the widespread ignorance of the public. The level
\nof public awareness concerning foreign-policy-related issues
\ndetermines to what extent public pressure can influence foreign
\npolicy, because with lack of awareness, not to mention a poor
\nunderstanding of the issues, the public can have little say on
\nforeign policy issues.<\/p>\n
This manner of thinking aggravates the condition where public
\ninterest toward foreign policy issues is critically low. An
\nadministration's performance is assessed by its success in the
\nimplementation of domestic policies. This is understandable yet
\ntroublesome, since, in reality, international relations issues
\ncan have implications on domestic affairs. Particularly in the
\ncurrent course of globalization, such implications are
\ninexorable, and multilateralism is pervasive.<\/p>\n
There has to be a balance between the commitment to accomplish
\nIndonesia's domestic interests and the commitment to be an
\nintegral part of a stable international system. Both of these
\ncommitments are intertwined and will impact on each other.<\/p>\n
A government is expected to act on behalf of its citizens, to
\nprotect them against obvious threats arising from overseas. A
\ncountry like Indonesia should acknowledge that its very survival
\nand prosperity depends, not just on its own efforts, or its
\ncollective activity with friends and allies, but also on the
\nnature of the international system as a whole.<\/p>\n
Moreover, whoever becomes the next president must comprehend
\nthat Indonesia will continue to deal with multidimensional
\nproblems. These problems, and the efforts taken in the process of
\nresolving them, will undoubtedly impact the policy alternatives
\navailable for the government to pursue development. Indonesia's
\nforeign policy, under the new government, should be formulated
\nand executed based on this consideration.<\/p>\n
Thus, presidential candidates must pay serious attention to a
\nnumber of highly significant issues in external affairs: Among
\nothers -- the continuation of previous multilateralism approaches
\nand integrative processes, mainly in the framework of ASEAN and
\nAPEC; the promotion of human rights and democracy, especially in
\nrelation to the restoration of Indonesia's international image;
\nand the global fight against terrorism. The public may be
\nignorant of these issues, but it cannot be refuted that these
\nissues directly relate to domestic affairs.<\/p>\n
The presidential candidates should come up with comprehensive
\nplatforms that include sufficient foreign policies. Efficient and
\nstrategic planning in foreign policy formulation can be the base
\nfor conducting international relations that support the
\ndevelopment and sovereignty of the state. This will be a true
\nchallenge for the next president.<\/p>\n
The writer (shfifi@csis.or.id) is a researcher of the
\nDepartment of International Relations of the Center for Strategic
\nand International Studies (CSIS).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/foreign-policy-issues-in-presidential-election-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}