Democracy is dying: Gus Dur says

Democracy is dying: Gus Dur says

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Moslem scholar Abdurrahman Wahid says
democracy is dying here because the powerful elite has made sure
that the existing political system will stifle people's attempts
to assert independence.

The chairman of the 30-million member Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)
organization, who is better-known as Gus Dur, said in an informal
discussion with local intellectuals and observers here on Sunday
that "democracy is gravely ill".

"In fact, it's dying," he said. He cited various proofs of
what he referred to as "the trampling of people's sovereignty by
a handful of people in power", including the current leadership
crisis besetting the minority Indonesian Democratic Party.

"The campaign to break democracy has 90 percent succeeded. The
public is now too afraid to protest, to ask questions, to
initiate anything," according to the activist of Forum Demokrasi,
a loose group of the government's staunchest critics.

The only venue left for people's aspirations is the tradition
of deliberation in order to reach consensus, where people are
encouraged to express opinions, but submit to any decisions taken
by the whole group.

"Even so, it depends on whether the government is willing (to
accept the results of the deliberation)," he said.

Abdurrahman cited the muted press as yet another example of
the poor state of democracy.

"Look at how our press has been castrated," he said. "The
press apply a very tight self-censorship in order to survive. But
we can't blame them, because `the system' forces them to be that
way."

Abdurrahman was responding to a participant at the discussion,
U.S. Rafik, who complained that he usually got only 40 percent of
worthy information from the press. "The remainder is garbage," he
said.

"Forty percent is good enough, because the figure will
probably decline," Abdurrahman answered.

Abdurrahman, however, did not put all the blame on the power
holders. He also blamed a transition of people's lifestyle, from
the so-called "traditional" to "modern", as the reason why
democracy has not grown strong here.

"The change may not take place in structure, but in people's
conduct," he said. "Look how our religious leaders and priests
are no longer able to make independent decisions because of the
government's meddling." (23/swe)