Democratization key election issue: Scholars
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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