Diverse Indonesia needs strong govt, military says

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia, as a developing country with great diversity and potential for internal unrest, needs a strong government but not at the expense of its people, a senior military officer said yesterday.

Armed Forces (ABRI) Chief of Sociopolitical Affairs Lt. Gen. Susilo Bambang told a seminar on human rights, reform and democratization here that the state and the people must stand on equal footing.

"One must not overpower the other. Neither one must be too strong," he was quoted by Antara as saying.

Delivering a paper called The Theories and Practices of the Democratic State, Susilo said: "I am not saying the government must be very strong, but a strong government is needed for a diverse country prone to unrest.

"The key, however, is good relations. Neither must be stronger than the other. This relationship will be even better if is 'bridged' by a civil society."

In addition to equality, a democratic country should also be marked by an effective check-and-balance mechanism in the executive, legislative and judiciary branches of power.

Another feature was transparent and accountable political process, with democratic values, institutions and practices. The principle would be reflected in fair, democratic and honest general elections, in just and good selection and recruitment of leaders and public policies which accommodate people's aspirations.

"We have to promise that in the future, especially in regard to selection and recruitment of leaders, things will be better," he said.

"It is the dream of us all to have a democratic Indonesia... the road is very long but we have to start from now. This is a very big nation, with great problems and challenges. We need big steps toward a new, free, united sovereign Indonesia which is honest and prosperous."

He said the country was at a critical and decisive point in its history which required all elements of society to be united in facing the crisis and proceeding with reform.

Founding fathers

Political observer Muhammad A.S. Hikam, another speaker at the seminar moderated by human rights campaigner Bambang W. Soeharto, advocated a return to the country's founding values.

Hikam, a researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, said that in the campaign for more democratic state administration, the country had no other course but to follow the principles laid down by its founding fathers.

He named these as people's sovereignty, guarantee of citizens' rights, representation, public participation in decision-making, equality before law, rule of law and accountability of leaders.

"Only with such a paradigm can the state administrator claim to be democratic."

Success in reaching those principles, he added, depended on how far the campaign for reform proceeded.

"If reform stagnates or deviates halfway -- the signs of which have grown increasingly marked -- then hopes for a democratic state administration would fade."

He warned the result would be the return of an authoritarian political system, though with different actors and constellation of the elite. (swe)