New Order elements in 'autonomous' regional legislative bodies

JAKARTA (JP): An environmentalist was aghast upon discovering that a regent in East Kalimantan has been parceling out lands to business people, issuing 200 "minor" concessions for protected forests.

The sad thing is, according to Longgena Ginting of the Indonesian Environmental Forum (Walhi), the regent was only doing what will come within his authority anyway when the laws on regional autonomy and fiscal balance come into effect in January 2001.

"He just decided to put the laws into effect months ahead of time," Ginting said sarcastically, adding that such abuse of power may become rampant under the new laws. "Who will control people like this regent? It should be the local legislative bodies, but we know how weak our DPRD (local legislative councils) are."

Do we have able regional watchdogs, politicians and community leaders? Who are our regional legislators? Do they have the qualities to act as good watchdogs?

Sadly no, according to a recent study by the Institute for Policy and Community Studies (IPCOS). The researchers, led by Benny Subianto, concluded that the changes brought about by the 1998 reform movement have not deeply impinged upon local and regional political structures.

"The great changes in the administrative and political institutions have failed to eliminate the New Order's political behavior and elements," the study said. "The political process continues in the old pattern, while the roles and functions of the political institutions such as political parties and DPRD are still performed in pretty much the same way."

It was a case of muka lama baju baru (old wine in a new bottle) as regards regional politics throughout the 17 regencies in 9 provinces (North Sumatra, South Sumatra, West Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, Irian Jaya or West Papua, West Java, Central Java, East Java and Jakarta) that were studied. A total of 314 politicians (mostly under 40 years of age, both in and outside of the DPRD, members of the political parties and Indonesian Military representatives in the legislative bodies) participated in the research.

"(Following reform) what we have here is not a change of the guard but a reordering of the old guard," the study said. "This means that the old guard of the New Order remains at the center stage of local politics, some of them remain in their old parties (Golkar, PPP and PDI) while others have moved to new parties."

The pattern that emerges is for the "old" politicians to abandon Golkar and move to the PDI Perjuangan or PKP, while those from the PPP moved to the PKB, PBB or other Islamic parties.

"In short, local reform has only led to a metamorphosis of the old political elite. They may be wearing new clothes, but their spirit remains the same," the study said.

As people brought up during Soeharto's years in power, many of the politicians behave in ways reminiscent of the New Order. For instance, most of them, especially those in the PDI Perjuangan, are business people.

"This fact raises the question of how a party that claims to be the political defender of the "small people", is actually being supported by the bourgeoisie," the report said.

"Local business people are usually in close contact with the local elite, especially the bureaucrats. We may assume that most local politicians are those who have in the past enjoyed or are still enjoying the patronage of the local elite," it further said.

Granted that local politics needs the financial support of local business people, but the disproportionate number of business people who have become politicians may create conflicts of interest.

"Will they be able to sacrifice their interests when they conflict with the interests of their supporters who are mostly from different classes, such as workers, farmers and fishermen," the study said. "This is an unwelcome (development) in our local politics." (swe)