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)