'National politics resembles shadow boxing'<\/p>\n
As May's general election nears, people are anticipating
\nimportant political events to unfold. Sociologist Arief Budiman
\nanalyzes the nature of politics in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
SALATIGA, Central Java (JP): Politics in Indonesia is like
\nshadow boxing: a battle of symbols. One never attacks an
\nopponent's real power, but hits the symbols of that power.<\/p>\n
So too our nation is governed by symbols, many of which have
\nlittle substance. Let me elaborate.<\/p>\n
We have a House of Representatives in which some members are
\nelected and many are appointed every five years (if we talk about
\nthe People's Consultative Assembly). However, should they
\n\"misbehave,\" a political mechanism is there to unseat them, even
\nif they are from non-government parties.<\/p>\n
When people have grievances they often go to this state
\ninstitution that supposedly represents them. And often
\nlegislators are available to listen.<\/p>\n
Then, if necessary, the House will ask the relevant cabinet
\nminister to testify. Statements by the minister are published in
\nthe media and, usually, that's the end of it.<\/p>\n
But people keep coming to the House.<\/p>\n
Today more people are going to the National Human Rights
\nCommission, not because it is more powerful but because the
\nthree-year old body is more ready to hand down critical
\nevaluations.<\/p>\n
Legally, the House has more power to scrutinize the
\ngovernment's performance than the commission, which has only a
\nmoral power. The Coordinating Minister for Political Affairs and
\nSecurity, Gen. Soesilo Soedarman, recently accused the commission
\nof going too far by trying to involve itself in solving problems
\nrelating to alleged human rights violations. The commission has
\nhad to take a step back, to do their \"proper\" job.<\/p>\n
People keep coming to either the House or the commission,
\nknowing full well there is only a slight possibility they will
\nreceive assistance; many come as a symbolic gesture to express
\ntheir protest.<\/p>\n
An example can be seen in the aftermath of Megawati's ousting
\nas head of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI). Megawati has
\ntaken the case to the court, where it is publicly known there is
\npractically no chance to win against the government. However,
\nMegawati instructed PDI branches across Indonesia to do the same.
\nIn each trial -- though especially in Jakarta -- PDI supporters
\nhave been mobilized to give support, as if there were hope of
\nvictory.<\/p>\n
For those who don't understand Indonesian political culture,
\nthese actions seem futile and incomprehensible. They are absurd,
\nlike Sisyphus pushing the rock to the top of the mountain, only
\nto be kicked down again by Zeus.<\/p>\n
The PDI is conducting a symbolic political opposition,
\nattacking the legitimacy of the government's actions and exposing
\nthe unfairness of their intervention.<\/p>\n
Another case of the use of symbols in our nation's political
\ndialog is the recent white-washing of traffic signs in Solo by
\nmembers of the United Development Party (PPP), earlier painted
\nblack and yellow by Golkar. Yellow is the color of Golkar, and
\ntraffic signs the world over are black and white. In spite of
\nthis, the regional government chose to repainted them yellow.<\/p>\n
Everybody knows this is a disguised early campaign by Golkar
\nand explains the PPP's action. The mayor of Solo threatened to
\ntake the case to court, but the local PPP -- aware of popular
\nsupport -- said they were ready to face a legal battle.<\/p>\n
This is another case of shadow boxing. Although the PPP may
\nhave won the battle, the victory is still in the realm of the
\nsymbol and does not change Golkar's real power. Or perhaps it
\ndoes, and Golkar and the government are slowly losing both their
\nlegitimacy and the trust of the people.<\/p>\n
The general election has been dubbed \"the festival of
\ndemocracy\". There are many festivals during the election campaign
\n(or there were until recently, when the government prohibited
\nmass public rallies for the coming election), but very little
\ndemocracy. The general election is more a symbol of democracy, a
\nritual with little substance. Nevertheless, people still join in
\nenthusiastically, as if it were a festival.<\/p>\n
The present trial of the PRD leaders also continues to loom
\nlarge in the nation's psyche. There was not enough evidence to
\nsupport the initial charges of organizing the July 27 riots for
\nwhich they were arrested. The leaders have now been put on trial
\nbecause their organization did not state Pancasila as its basic
\nprinciple. For this, they have been accused of conducting
\nsubversive activities against the state.<\/p>\n
Pancasila is a symbol, its substance manifested in the deeds
\nperformed by people or an organization: this is the exact line
\nPRD defense attorneys have taken. They have said even if the PRD
\ndid not have Pancasila as its basic principle, its stated program
\nto help workers and promote democracy in Indonesia were the
\ncomponents of Pancasila. However, it is unlikely this line of
\nargument would be taken seriously by the court, because in the
\npresent political culture, the government treats symbols as
\nimportantly -- if not more importantly -- than substance. Both
\nthe government and its opponents are playing the same game:
\nshadow boxing and battling in the realm of symbols.<\/p>\n
So, what we now get is the symbol of political participation
\nby the people in the form of House, the symbol of democratic
\nprocess in the form of a general election, the symbol of the rule
\nof law in the form of court processes. All lack real substance.
\nHowever, as Javanese philosophy dictates, we are very lucky
\nbecause we at least have symbols. Substance will come in due
\ntime, conclude the ever-optimistic Javanese.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, we have now been waiting for 30 years.<\/p>\n
The writer is a noted Indonesian sociologist and researcher.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/national-politics-resembles-shadow-boxing-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }