Electing our local leaders

Electing our local leaders

In just over a month, Indonesians will begin witnessing and
participating in a series of elections for local chief
executives. This will mark the beginning of an almost perpetual
cycle of elections in this country to elect governors, mayors and
regents.

The advent of local elections is a giant step forwards on the
long road toward a truly democratic society. If local autonomy --
introduced in 2001 -- provided the starting point and runup to
this endeavor, the elections will determine how far the nation
has come along the path to achieving this laudable goal.

Hence the upcoming local elections should be viewed as part of
the nation's continuing effort to return sovereignty to the
people.

By itself, regional autonomy does little for the people. It
merely transfers raw power from the hands of unscrupulous
politicians in Jakarta to even more unscrupulous opportunists at
the local level. However, what local elections will do is to
provide some measure of safeguard as regards the management of
that power.

Furthermore, local elections provide the most transparent
medium for gauging the wants and wishes of the public.

For too long, citizens far removed from Jakarta's corridors of
power have been treated with condescension. Like unwanted orphans
who need to be told what is best for them.

Regional autonomy and direct local elections should put an end
to this unbalanced relationship. They represent a significant and
complicated change for those used to absolute power at the
center, but it is a change that needs to take place.

With just weeks remaining before the elections begin, the
prophets of doom are busy pointing to every single deficiency in
the poll preparations and infrastructure.

There are certainly a multitude of failings that should have
been dealt with by now. Even before the process had begun, we
already knew that the system that had been put in place left a
lot to be desired.

For example, it is doubtful that the voters will be able to
truly gauge the quality and promises of the candidates given the
limited time set aside for campaigning, and the lack of media
available for disseminating substantive campaign issues -- other
than facile posters and flags.

The Jakarta-based political parties also continue to enjoy a
monopoly, with no recourse available to independent candidates.

Lack of control over abuses and the prevalence of money
politics are other latent dangers.

All these give rise to worries, and must be addressed and
corrected. Vigilance must be maintained so that the effort is not
ruined by an unscrupulous few.

But we should also be wise enough to understand that there is
no such thing as a perfect system. Shortcomings will occur,
whether by accident or design, even in an ideal system.

The fact that the staging of local elections is a completely
new undertaking here suggests that there will, indeed, be
deficiencies.

Rather than complaining, however, we believe that the
challenges before us should be met with vigor, foresight and a
positive spirit. It is a benevolent undertaking, the benefits of
which will be plentiful, albeit late in coming.

We should embrace the coming local leadership elections in the
way that one would embark on a new career or a marriage --
pitfalls lie in wait, yet the end result should be worth the
effort.

Adjustments should be made along the way -- fine tuning
carried out based on the lessons learned over time.

The most vulnerable element as we set out on this initial
stage of our democratic history at the local level concerns the
degree of accuracy and accountability displayed by local
election commissions (KPUD). Even with shortcomings, if
confidence in the electoral process and its overseers is
maintained, voters will likely respect and accept the results of
the polls.

But once distrust as regards the work of the KPUDs emerges,
confidence in the polls will evaporate, and doubt will reign over
their results. In such circumstances, whosoever is elected will
be dogged by questions of political legitimacy.

This in turn will only lead to an erosion in our trust in
democracy.