Student protests may spur the race for reform<\/p>\n
Debate over political and economic reforms keeps on rolling,
\nwith the government asserting it has been doing this for a long
\ntime. Political analyst J. Soedjati Djiwandono , one who does not
\nascribe to the above view, argues that political reform cannot
\nwait.<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): As the supreme governing body of the country's
\npolitical system, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) is the
\nmost capable of implementing the necessary reforms. Yet it seems
\ndoubtful the State Policy Guidelines decreed by the MPR in its
\nMarch General Session do embody the necessary steps toward
\npolitical reform, a claim of the government.<\/p>\n
To emphasize that reform must be constitutional -- as if
\nimplying that the students' demands are unconstitutional -- is
\nredundant. By definition, reform is a change within and through
\nthe existing constitution. But it is not just any kind of change.
\nThe change ought to be toward improvement, and therefore forms
\npart of democratization. Thus it is highly doubtful if reform has
\nbeen implemented even since the proclamation of independence,
\nanother assertion of the government.<\/p>\n
In principle, reform is still possible, despite the
\nossification of the current political system, if only there is
\nthe political will to do it. This means the MPR must first reform
\nitself. The resulting given is that reform must start above all
\nwith the political parties, for most MPR members are
\nrepresentatives of these.<\/p>\n
Political parties should be independent from governmental
\ninterference in their internal affairs, for government is
\nbasically their own creation on behalf of the people. This needs
\nto be translated into a drastic change in their statutes and
\nbylaws.<\/p>\n
But judging by the performance of the MPR members in their
\nrecent General Session or, for that matter, practically all the
\nAssemblies under the New Order, it seems doubtful if they are
\neven interested in the issue.<\/p>\n
But we must remember that human beings are not apples. Once an
\napple begins to rot, the process cannot be arrested. A human
\nbeing, meanwhile, can repent anytime and improve or reform,
\nlearning from past mistakes, if only he or she has the will to do
\nso.<\/p>\n
The essence of democracy is people's participation in a
\nbalanced distribution of power in decision-making -- though
\nindirectly in a modern democracy -- and thus the creation of a
\nsystem of checks and balances as a complex mechanism of effective
\ncontrol. Our present political system is not working or
\nfunctioning properly in that sense.<\/p>\n
That is to say, power has tended to be increasingly
\nconcentrated in the hands of the executive. This means a
\ndecreasing participation of the people in decision making, and
\nthus in exercising effective control over the use of power.<\/p>\n
Political parties serve as vehicles for people's
\nparticipation. A general election is an initial stage of that
\nparticipation and an initial form of the control mechanism. This
\nwill develop into a system of checks and balances.<\/p>\n
Separation and balanced distribution of power among state
\ninstitutions is a form of participation and control by the
\npeople. A limitation on the terms of the President, for instance,
\nis just one such form of control. And it is the effective
\nmechanism of control that ensures good and clean government.<\/p>\n
Unless the political parties, and thus the dominant members of
\nthe MPR, do not reform themselves, we would have to wait for the
\nyounger generation of Indonesians who will take their places.
\nHence, the significance of political education of young people to
\nprepare them for the necessary reform in the future. By no means
\nam I referring here to the indoctrination of the Pancasila
\norientation course (P4).<\/p>\n
Herein lies an inherent vicious circle. We cannot rely on the
\ncurrent shoddy system of formal education; reform of the
\neducational system would form part of political reform.<\/p>\n
In this economic crisis, however, political reform is an
\nurgent and absolute necessity. We are racing against time.
\nWithout reform, it is hard to imagine what may happen to the
\nnation's social, political and economic life.<\/p>\n
This is the significance of the student protests. They will
\nhopefully help wake those \"representatives of the people\" from
\ntheir lethargy, inertia and complacency so that they open their
\neyes to realize the enormity of the crisis, with all its possible
\ndire consequences and implications for the people. They then may
\nbe able to overcome their reluctance and fear to initiate reform.<\/p>\n
If the question still remains, the answer is in the
\naffirmative: student protests may indeed help accelerate the
\nefforts for reform.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/student-protests-may-spur-the-race-for-reform-1447893297",
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