Democratization key election issue: Scholars

JAKARTA (JP): Political scientists yesterday identified democratization, succession and dissatisfaction with the status quo as the key issues challenging the country as it prepares for the 1997 general election.

Riswandha Imawan, a lecturer on comparative politics at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, said here yesterday that democratization would be a key issue influencing political players.

"Democratization here demands that the political process, the decision making process on public policies, become more transparent," he said.

During his presentation at a seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Riswandha argued that transparency was now more a requirement than a need.

"Don't forget, the New Order arrived as a total correction for the violations and deviations of the Old Order government," he said, referring to the political events which ushered in the current administration some 30 years ago.

He said that "shrouds of darkness" in policy making and the bureaucracy were characteristics associated with the Old Order.

He warned that the question of democratization would snowball, demanding the attention of all political actors.

"Once the democratization issue has started rolling, it will continue to do so and there won't be a single force able to stop it," he said.

The Presidential succession will become another issue, he said.

"This looks set to be Indonesia's central political issue until the People's Consultative Assembly convenes in 1998. Up until now the succession has been postponed, it looks like this time around it has to happen," Riswandha said.

He explained that succession did not necessarily mean a change of Presidents, but may mean a new generation of leaders who effectively run the state.

Seventy-four-year-old President Soeharto has served the country for three decades. His age has caused speculation on whether he will accept another five-year presidential term in 1998.

Riswandha said the rise of a new generation was an inevitable natural process.

"Any delay would just create problems that could explode after the current ruling generation has gone," he asserted.

Juwono Sudarsono, who is currently deputy governor of the National Resilience Institute, Indonesia's equivalent of a national defense college, said the 1997 election would be characterized by voter dissatisfaction with a government which has not changed in 30 years.

He said indications of dissatisfaction began to emerge in the 1987 election when many young voters flocked to support the Indonesian Democratic Party because they were tired of the government.

"There is a surfeit toward the government, particularly Golkar," he remarked.

Young voters are expected to play an important role in next year's election. There will be an estimated 20 million first-time voters in next year's election.

"You can imagine how many weary young voters there are now," Juwono said.

Other issues which are expected to come up as the elections draw nearer relate to economics.

Juwono said that, unlike previous elections, the private sector now has more control over the economy. He claimed that this compromised the government's absolute control.

"Civil society's clout is much larger because of its economic control. This makes it difficult for the government to do as they please as they have done in the past," he said, adding that such a condition would create a fairer and more honest election for some. (mds)

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