Foreign policy issues in presidential election

Foreign policy issues in presidential election

Shafiah Fifi Muhibat, Jakarta

As campaigns for the July 5 presidential election escalate,
candidates fiercely compete for attention. Ideas have been
raised, policies have been proposed, and promises have been made.
However, personality rather than policy is expected to be the
major feature of the campaigns, since no candidate has presented
coherent political or economic policies.

Neither have platforms been comprehensively formulated to
actually offer alternative solutions to the country's ongoing
problems. This lack of attention is particularly obvious in
relation to foreign policy issues. The candidates' Vision,
Mission, and Program collected by the General Elections
Commission (KPU) hardly embrace foreign policy issues.

The candidates' agendas may list a large number of domestic
priorities, but very few on foreign policy. This is due to the
fact that citizens (i.e. the voters) are more interested in
domestic issues that directly impact their lives, such as
welfare, health, and education. International issues are regarded
as something "foreign" and the sole concern of the country's top
leaders.

The term "foreign policy" is still considered distant from the
general public's day-to-day lives and to have no direct
significance for them. With this view, it can be understood why
people in most countries, including Indonesia, prefer to leave
all foreign policy decision-making activities to their
governments.

Deliberately or not, the lack of public attention toward
foreign policy issues is aggravated by the centralization of the
foreign policy decision-making process at the top level.
Theoretically, the conduct of foreign-policy makers -- whose
principal aim is to safeguard the nation's security -- requires
the concentration of executive power. In the international -- or
state -- system, in which each state is its own protector and
must rely primarily on its own resources and strengths, the chief
executive is considered the defender of national interests.

In this regard, both the citizens and the policymakers
contribute to the widespread ignorance of the public. The level
of public awareness concerning foreign-policy-related issues
determines to what extent public pressure can influence foreign
policy, because with lack of awareness, not to mention a poor
understanding of the issues, the public can have little say on
foreign policy issues.

This manner of thinking aggravates the condition where public
interest toward foreign policy issues is critically low. An
administration's performance is assessed by its success in the
implementation of domestic policies. This is understandable yet
troublesome, since, in reality, international relations issues
can have implications on domestic affairs. Particularly in the
current course of globalization, such implications are
inexorable, and multilateralism is pervasive.

There has to be a balance between the commitment to accomplish
Indonesia's domestic interests and the commitment to be an
integral part of a stable international system. Both of these
commitments are intertwined and will impact on each other.

A government is expected to act on behalf of its citizens, to
protect them against obvious threats arising from overseas. A
country like Indonesia should acknowledge that its very survival
and prosperity depends, not just on its own efforts, or its
collective activity with friends and allies, but also on the
nature of the international system as a whole.

Moreover, whoever becomes the next president must comprehend
that Indonesia will continue to deal with multidimensional
problems. These problems, and the efforts taken in the process of
resolving them, will undoubtedly impact the policy alternatives
available for the government to pursue development. Indonesia's
foreign policy, under the new government, should be formulated
and executed based on this consideration.

Thus, presidential candidates must pay serious attention to a
number of highly significant issues in external affairs: Among
others -- the continuation of previous multilateralism approaches
and integrative processes, mainly in the framework of ASEAN and
APEC; the promotion of human rights and democracy, especially in
relation to the restoration of Indonesia's international image;
and the global fight against terrorism. The public may be
ignorant of these issues, but it cannot be refuted that these
issues directly relate to domestic affairs.

The presidential candidates should come up with comprehensive
platforms that include sufficient foreign policies. Efficient and
strategic planning in foreign policy formulation can be the base
for conducting international relations that support the
development and sovereignty of the state. This will be a true
challenge for the next president.

The writer (shfifi@csis.or.id) is a researcher of the
Department of International Relations of the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS).