Indonesians 'want political change'
Indonesians 'want political change'
JAKARTA (JP): More than 90 percent of Indonesians want
political change soon because they have lived in discontent for
so long, an observer claimed over the weekend.
A professor of Jakarta's 17 Augustus University, Usep
Ranawijaya, said Saturday that the recent series of street
rallies and violence was evidence of desire for change.
"Disappointment has encouraged timid people to do those things
(join in rallies, riots), shrugging off the risks involved," said
Usep, who was a leading figure in the former biggest political
party, the Indonesian Nationalist Party.
Usep was speaking at the book launch of Perubahan tanpa
Gejolak (Change without Upheaval) written by Roch Basoeki
Mangoenpoerojo, a former independence fighter and now retired
army officer. Muhammad A.S. Hikam of the National Institute of
Sciences also attended the launch.
Basoeki made headlines in late March for organizing a march
from Denpasar to Jakarta to protest the unsettled internal
conflict within minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
The march ended at the House of Representatives with a
demonstration of support for PDI's ousted leader Megawati
Soekarnoputri in early April.
Usep said the street rallies and violence were the fruits of
an oppressive political system which gave people no choice but to
do whatever the elite wanted.
"Oppression has generated hypocrisy within society. Everybody
says yes to government policies just as if they were faithful
citizens," he said.
He said change should affect the system, not people, and
should start from the political party system.
"There should be no more parties that rely on government
apparatus to mobilize as many supporters of the status quo as
possible," Usep said, referring to Golkar which has just won its
sixth election in a row.
He said this system violated the Constitution because it
allowed the government-backed Golkar to use power to gain popular
support and denied people their right to choose.
Recruitment
Hikam said he agreed, and that it was possible to get poor
legislators under the current election rules.
"The general election has long been biased toward the status-
quo, as reflected in the government's total control of the
organization of the election and the marginal roles of the
contending parties," Hikam said.
He said that the election rules that favored Golkar paved the
way for violations from the start of the election process.
"It is doubtful that elections will be an effective means of
getting quality legislators because of the government's excessive
interest," he said.
He criticized the government for using its authority to screen
legislative candidates, saying that the procedure could be used
to expel brilliant but outspoken candidates.
The book is a collection of Basoeki's essays on Indonesian
politics, some of which have been previously printed in
newspapers or magazines.
Basoeki said his book did not specifically suggest the form of
change, but that it could be initiated at the General Assembly of
the People's Consultative Assembly next March. (amd)
JAKARTA (JP): More than 90 percent of Indonesians want
political change soon because they have lived in discontent for
so long, an observer claimed over the weekend.
A professor of Jakarta's 17 Augustus University, Usep
Ranawijaya, said Saturday that the recent series of street
rallies and violence was evidence of desire for change.
"Disappointment has encouraged timid people to do those things
(join in rallies, riots), shrugging off the risks involved," said
Usep, who was a leading figure in the former biggest political
party, the Indonesian Nationalist Party.
Usep was speaking at the book launch of Perubahan tanpa
Gejolak (Change without Upheaval) written by Roch Basoeki
Mangoenpoerojo, a former independence fighter and now retired
army officer. Muhammad A.S. Hikam of the National Institute of
Sciences also attended the launch.
Basoeki made headlines in late March for organizing a march
from Denpasar to Jakarta to protest the unsettled internal
conflict within minority Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
The march ended at the House of Representatives with a
demonstration of support for PDI's ousted leader Megawati
Soekarnoputri in early April.
Usep said the street rallies and violence were the fruits of
an oppressive political system which gave people no choice but to
do whatever the elite wanted.
"Oppression has generated hypocrisy within society. Everybody
says yes to government policies just as if they were faithful
citizens," he said.
He said change should affect the system, not people, and
should start from the political party system.
"There should be no more parties that rely on government
apparatus to mobilize as many supporters of the status quo as
possible," Usep said, referring to Golkar which has just won its
sixth election in a row.
He said this system violated the Constitution because it
allowed the government-backed Golkar to use power to gain popular
support and denied people their right to choose.
Recruitment
Hikam said he agreed, and that it was possible to get poor
legislators under the current election rules.
"The general election has long been biased toward the status-
quo, as reflected in the government's total control of the
organization of the election and the marginal roles of the
contending parties," Hikam said.
He said that the election rules that favored Golkar paved the
way for violations from the start of the election process.
"It is doubtful that elections will be an effective means of
getting quality legislators because of the government's excessive
interest," he said.
He criticized the government for using its authority to screen
legislative candidates, saying that the procedure could be used
to expel brilliant but outspoken candidates.
The book is a collection of Basoeki's essays on Indonesian
politics, some of which have been previously printed in
newspapers or magazines.
Basoeki said his book did not specifically suggest the form of
change, but that it could be initiated at the General Assembly of
the People's Consultative Assembly next March. (amd)