History repeating itself in RI political behavior<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
When Indonesia held its first general election in 1955, the
\npolitical parties were polarized along the lines of nationalist,
\nIslamic and communist groupings.<\/p>\n
Forty four years later, with the exception of the Communists,
\nthe 1999 election presented a similar picture, and experts
\nforecast more of the same for the 2004 election.<\/p>\n
What it shows, they say, is the absence of political
\neducation.<\/p>\n
\"If we draw a line from 1955 to now, nothing has changed,\"
\nhistorian Anhar Gonggong said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Recent party maneuvers suggest that they are drifting into
\nloose coalitions defined by their nationalist or Islamic traits.<\/p>\n
Nationalist-leaning Golkar is seen making overtures to the
\nequally nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-
\nPerjuangan). The two have between them the biggest share of the
\nvote in the country.<\/p>\n
Small Islamic parties like the Crescent Star Party and the
\nJustice Party recently met in what some suspected was a move to
\nexplore the likelihood of a coalition.<\/p>\n
But such maneuvers appear to echo those of parties in the
\nearly fifties, a time when Indonesia was still a federal
\nrepublic.<\/p>\n
In the political landscape of that time, the Indonesian
\nNational Party (PNI), occupied the position where the
\nnationalistic-leaning PDI Perjuangan and Golkar are now.<\/p>\n
Elsewhere, a cluster of Islamic oriented parties such as
\nMasyumi and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) were viable competitors to the
\nPNI.<\/p>\n
But the joker in the pack was the Communists, who took the
\nnation aback when the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) gained
\nfourth position. Communism has since been discredited, but
\nMarxism itself remains an attractive ideology, traces of which
\ncan be found in today's Democratic People's Party (PRD).<\/p>\n
Anhar said that voters in the fifties and today went for the
\nparties they felt closest to. Thus, traditional-minded Muslims
\nwent for Islamic parties, nationalists for the PNI or today's
\nGolkar and the PDI Perjuangan.<\/p>\n
Party manifestos and programs had nothing to do with winning
\nan election, he said. \"Today campaigning is about getting a crowd
\ntogether, and people come because of the fun.\"<\/p>\n
Consequently, he said, parties had failed to develop a sense
\nof accountability to their constituents.<\/p>\n
This would help explain the frequent complaints about the
\nparties jostling for power while neglecting the voters'
\ninterests.<\/p>\n
A public outcry ensued earlier this month after legislators
\nscuttled a political probe into Golkar chairman and House Speaker
\nAkbar Tandjung -- the suspect in a corruption case.<\/p>\n
The parties' past promises to fight corruption have been shown
\nto be empty, and critics say that new pledges are now regarded as
\nmere rhetoric.<\/p>\n
The ongoing process of amending the 1945 Constitution, with
\nminimum public participation, has also drawn fire as the parties
\nhaggle to promote their political interests. Critics say it comes
\nas no surprise that one of the most contentious issues revolves
\naround direct presidential elections.<\/p>\n
Anhar said a political party's life began with inspiration
\nfrom the public. The party then fought for seats in the
\ngovernment and the legislature so as to give flesh to the
\ninspiration through policies.<\/p>\n
\"People now join a political party because of power. They join
\nfor all the wrong reasons.\"<\/p>\n
He said this attitude separated the parties from their
\nconstituents.<\/p>\n
\"Compared to 1955, the parties now are more pragmatic. In
\nfact, so pragmatic that they are totally oblivious to the
\ninterests of the nation,\" said political observer Fachry Ali.<\/p>\n
He said that in the fifties the parties campaigned based upon
\nideology. Now it was more about securing power through backdoor
\ndeals and compromises. Ideology, he said, had become expendable.<\/p>\n
Another sign of decay was the importance of voter affection
\nfor the figures who led or were affiliated to parties. Fachry
\nexplained that this factor had helped the PDI-Perjuangan come
\nfirst in the 1999 election. The party had a major advantage in
\nthe fact that its chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri was the
\ndaughter of Indonesia's first President Sukarno.<\/p>\n
Fachry said that in 1955 ideology was more the determining
\nfactor, although around that time political analyst Herbert Feith
\nidentified a number of traits that voters sought in party
\nleaders. These were not so different from the public's
\npreferences today.<\/p>\n
Fachry, however, expected people to be more rational in the
\n2004 election given that most parties had failed their
\nconstituents.<\/p>\n
But the responsibility for educating the public about politics
\nrested with the government, the parties and the press, he said.<\/p>",
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