Bureaucracy hampers political parties
Bureaucracy hampers political parties
JAKARTA (JP): Political parties in Indonesia will not be able
to perform their function as prime movers of democracy, according
to a senior politician and a leading political observer.
PPP Secretary General Matori Abdul Djalil and observer Arbi
Sanit said the Soeharto regime's overemphasis on stability is
largely responsible for the inactivity of political
organizations.
They argue that the bureaucracy has kept close control over
political parties, using them to maintain its legitimacy. For
this reason the parties have failed to perform their basic
function, that is, forming a system of checks and balances for
the government.
Matori and Arbi made their remarks in a seminar addressing the
prospects of political organizations in the second phase of the
25 year development period. It was sponsored by the Moslem-based
United Development Party (PPP).
Matori pointed out that despite the governments relative
success in the area of economic development, the government has
failed in developing democracy.
"This failure is evident in the bureaucrats' lack of openness,
lack of public participation in politics and officials'
reluctance to develop open, political communication," he said.
The government made political organizations part of the
bureaucracy to mobilize support for its economic development
programs. This took place after the administration moved to
reduce the number of political parties in the early 1970s and
forced them to adopt the state ideology as their sole principle,
he said.
The bureaucracy "simplified" the political system in early
1970s. The three political organizations that the government
sanctions are the functional group Golkar, PPP and PDI
(Indonesian Democratic Party). The government refuses to call
Golkar a party although it functions like one.
"Over the past 25 years, the political parties' position was
marginal and they are hardly involved in strategic political
decision making," Matori said.
But he noted that the growing demand for democracy from the
middle class, plus global pressure on human rights,
democratization and the environment may eventually bring changes
in the Indonesian political system.
Matori said that a more prosperous society and growing public
political awareness will force the bureaucracy to decentralize
power and heed the calls for democracy, he said.
"I am optimistic that democracy will be achieved some day," he
said.
Firmly controlled
But Arbi did not share Matori's light of hope.
The political scholar from the University of Indonesia said it
would be a waste of time to expect democracy and a more
substantial role for political parties as long as the local
politics is still dominated by the military.
He pointed out that the political system is firmly controlled
by bureaucrats with military backgrounds who emphasize stability
at the cost of people's political freedom.
After political parties are denied of their own ideologies,
they are closely controlled to make sure that they will not
become an opposition force, he said.
"Political organizations' biggest sin is to become
institutions which serve largely to legitimize the bureaucracy,"
he said.
He said people's thirst for true democracy can be satisfied
only if the bureaucracy was controlled by a civilian who needed
popular support rather than a strong military.
According to Arbi, it is likely that President Soeharto's
successor will be a military man who will also glamorize national
stability and spare little elbow room for pro-democracy
movements. (pan)