People at the heart of reform<\/p>\n
Berni K. Moestafa and A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Another year of the reform era has passed and people continue
\nto criticize the reform movement as ineffective, slow or just
\nplain dead.<\/p>\n
Some people are impatiently waiting for some results from the
\nreform movement, like improved welfare and less corruption, while
\nothers have just grown apathetic about the whole thing.<\/p>\n
To keep the spirit of reform alive, according to the experts,
\npeople need patience, because the process of reform takes a long
\ntime.<\/p>\n
\"Reform takes time, this is a matter of time,\" Daniel
\nSparingga, a political observer at Airlangga University in
\nSurabaya, said earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The nation began the process of reform in 1998, when students
\nled a movement for political reform that ended Soeharto's 32-year
\nrule.<\/p>\n
Four years into the era of reform, however, hopes for a
\ndemocratic nation that upholds the people's sovereignty remain
\njust hopes.<\/p>\n
The once centralistic government delegated many of its powers
\nto the regions and held the country's first free elections in
\n1999.<\/p>\n
These watershed developments may show that democracy is taking
\nshape, but they fall short of ensuring the people's sovereignty,
\nsaid Daniel.<\/p>\n
Corruption and political instability reign, which analysts
\nblame on too much politicking within the government and the House
\nof Representatives.<\/p>\n
To some, the reform movement's only achievement was that of
\ngreater transparency resulting from a free press.<\/p>\n
\"But it is a transparency without results. What's the use of
\ntransparency if no one listens to the people's aspirations,\" said
\nSoy M. Pardede, a senior executive with the Indonesian Chamber of
\nCommerce and Industry.<\/p>\n
Daniel said minor setbacks along the road to democracy were
\ndiscouraging but normal.<\/p>\n
According to him, Indonesia is going through the same
\ntransition period that other countries have gone through or are
\nstill going through.<\/p>\n
Neighbors like Thailand and the Philippines experienced reform
\nmovements similar to the one in Indonesia. In Thailand students
\nled the fight against the military regime there, and in the
\nPhilippines, president Marcos' authoritarian rule was ended by
\nthe movement known as People Power.<\/p>\n
And more than 10 years after reform movements swept through
\ncommunists countries in Eastern Europe, most of these countries
\nhave yet to complete the transition period. Some of these
\ncountries are even seeing a rise in popularity for communist
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Imam Prasodjo, a sociologist at the University of Indonesia,
\nsaid that in Indonesia, the public could accelerate the reform
\nmovement by stepping up pressure against the government.<\/p>\n
He said concerted efforts should focus on institution building
\nto allow for the practices of good governance.<\/p>\n
For democracy to take hold, according to Daniel, it requires
\nmore than just political reforms.<\/p>\n
The distribution of power is part of democracy and necessary
\nto limit corruption, Daniel said.<\/p>\n
This, he said, calls for greater public control, the
\neffectiveness of which depends on the presence of a civil
\nsociety.<\/p>\n
\"It is very, very hard to engineer the creation of a civil
\nsociety,\" Daniel said. \"People evolve a into civil society rather
\nthan just become one.\"<\/p>\n
But if anything, Imam said, people have themselves to blame
\nfor the state of the reform movement four years on. People are
\nthe ones who can set the direction, pace and scope of the reform
\nmovement.<\/p>\n
\"Pro-democracy activists, the press, students, academics, non-
\ngovernmental organizations and others should unite to keep the
\nreform movement on the right track,\" Imam said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/people-at-the-heart-of-reform-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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