Why does the government have no opposition<\/p>\n
By Martin Jenkins<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): After a honeymoon period of some three months,
\nAbdurrahman Wahid's administration has been characterized by
\nseemingly endless bickering among the nation's political elite.
\nAll the squabbling is hardly surprising, however, given that the
\ncoalition government was formed from a power-sharing arrangement
\nin which all the largest parties were awarded Cabinet posts in
\nspite of their quite different political agendas.<\/p>\n
The coalition includes representatives from seven parties,
\nranging from parties in the \"axis force\" (the non-secular
\nfaction) to the nationalist-secular parties of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) and the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB). There is no government opposition. Even
\nthe former authoritarian Golkar Party has posts in the current
\nCabinet.<\/p>\n
When the government was formed many argued that all of the
\nmajor political parties had to be accommodated in the new
\ngovernment to foster \"nation building\" following the economic and
\npolitical turmoil that ravaged the country and even threatened to
\ntear it apart. Only by including all the major parties in the
\ncoalition could reconciliation take place.<\/p>\n
Such an arrangement does not make for an effective and
\nresponsible government, however. With no opposition, who should
\nprovide the much-touted \"checks and balances\" which are so
\nessential in any democracy? Who is expected to take on the vested
\ninterests? If it is left to the politicians from the parties in
\nthe coalition to criticize the government, then they will surely
\nbe seen as hypocritical and two-faced.<\/p>\n
Take, for instance, the speaker of the People's Consultative
\nAssembly and the leader of the National Mandate Party (PAN),
\nAmien Rais. He originally supported Abdurrahman's presidential
\ncandidacy even though he knew full well of the President's poor
\nmedical well-being.<\/p>\n
Later, however, he expressed support for Golkar deputy
\nchairman Agung Laksono's suggestion that an independent medical
\nteam be set up to examine the President's physical and mental
\nhealth. Conflicting statements such as these naturally give rise
\nto confusion and result in political instability.<\/p>\n
The role of elections is to provide a means to elect and, more
\nimportantly, to dismiss a government. This is a more basic
\nfunction than electing individual legislators. Without an
\nopposition, however, how can the electorate who are dissatisfied
\nwith the government vote to remove it?<\/p>\n
Indonesian voters will have almost nothing to decide in future
\nelections. Whatever party they choose, the government will stay
\nbasically the same!<\/p>\n
It would be far better to have a government formed from a
\ncoalition of parties that have a majority of House seats. A
\ncoalition with an opposition would keep the governing parties on
\ntheir toes. They would know that if they did not perform well
\nthen they could be kicked out in the elections.<\/p>\n
In addition, the president should preferably come from the
\nlargest party in the coalition. That would be more democratic
\nthan having the president chosen by the People's Consultative
\nAssembly (MPR) -- Abdurrahman was elected President even though
\nPKB only managed to muster a paltry 51 seats in the 1999 general
\nelection compared to an impressive 154 seats by Megawati's PDI
\nPerjuangan.<\/p>\n
With an opposition, criticism of the government would become
\nmore focused. Moreover, politicians from parties in the
\ngovernment coalition would be less likely to become involved in
\nneedless squabbling.<\/p>\n
Fewer confusing and contradictory statements would be made,
\nhopefully meaning less political uncertainty and, ultimately, an
\nimprovement in economic conditions.<\/p>\n
The writer is a consultant at an Indonesian company in
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
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