Voting vs consensus<\/p>\n
To many, the events and proceedings that took place inside and
\noutside Jakarta's City Hall on Jl. Kebon Sirih on Thursday may
\nlook somewhat complicated and confusing. To those, however, who
\nhave a knowledge of the procedures by which things have always
\nbeen done in the corridors of power of the Indonesian capital,
\nthey may appear to be the long-awaited signal that, for the first
\ntime in decades, democracy is finally taking hold.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech -- which is a speech
\nwhich Indonesian provincial governors are required by law to make
\nbefore the provincial legislature to account for all the actions
\ntaken and policies implemented during the past year -- was
\nrejected by 68 votes to 16.<\/p>\n
This fact, naturally, is unfortunate for the governor, but
\nhardly astonishing, given the criticism that has been leveled at
\nSutiyoso in the past months. Besides, the vote of no-confidence
\ndoesn't mean that Sutiyoso is about to lose his job.<\/p>\n
According to Law No.22\/1999, the governor is given 30 days to
\nprovide more detailed explanations to the councillors' questions
\nin a new, improved speech. And if the new speech is rejected, the
\nCity Council has to invite independent experts to form a second
\nopinion in an open public hearing before sending a recommendation
\nto the central government -- meaning the minister of home affairs
\n-- for the governor's replacement.<\/p>\n
So there is nothing very dramatic or noteworthy about the
\nresolution. What was noteworthy, however, was that there was
\nhardly any mention at all of musyawarah untuk mufakat --
\ndeliberation toward consensus -- which was the way things were
\ndone in the past. For the first time for as long as Jakartans can
\nremember, a decision was taken by voting.<\/p>\n
Still, the final decision did not come easily. Having failed
\nto reach an agreement on whether to accept or reject the speech,
\ncouncil leaders and the leaders of the 11 factions, after
\nconsultations, decided to hold a closed vote to settle their
\ndifferences.<\/p>\n
A heated debate immediately flared up after the decision was
\nannounced, with councillors divided between those who wanted the
\nvoting to be closed and those who preferred an open vote. Some of
\nthe councillors were hoping for a closed vote, arguing that this
\nwould protect the democratic rights of each councillor and avoid
\npossible emotional reactions afterward. Others said an open vote
\nwas more democratic since it would clearly reflect each faction's
\nstance in the matter.<\/p>\n
With several councillors threatening to walk out, the council
\nafter a two-hour heated debate finally opted for an open vote. In
\nthe open vote, 68 members of the Jakarta City Council voted
\nagainst endorsing the speech while 16 accepted it, with one
\ncouncillor absent for unknown reasons.<\/p>\n
In the meantime, outside the council's plenary hall some 250
\nnoisy protesters representing four different groups were
\ndemanding that the council reject Sutiyoso's speech.<\/p>\n
With all this going on, one may well ask what the commotion
\nwas all about. It seems that the central issue in question
\nrevolved around corruption, collusion and nepotism, popularly
\nreferred to in Indonesia by the acronym KKN, especially as
\nregards the management of Bank DKI's nonperforming loans.<\/p>\n
To the governor's credit, it must be said that he took it all
\ncalmly and without emotion. \"I don't think they understand (the
\ncentral bank's rules). We can't do anything but follow,\" Sutiyoso
\ntold reporters later, reminding his critics that his tenure was
\nseverely affected by the country's multidimensional crisis.<\/p>\n
Whatever the case, Thursday's show of democracy in action,
\ncrude as it may seem, is a right step on the road toward
\ndemocratic reform. What remains is to rein in emotions, both
\ninside the council and outside, encourage fair play and engage in
\nthe decision-making process with cool heads. Jakarta, being
\nIndonesia's trend-setting capital city, should be able to set a
\ngood example for the rest of the country.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/voting-vs-consensus-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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