Old forces contest election
Old forces contest election
Tiarma Siboro and Mochammad N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Sunday 24
political parties eligible to contest the 2004 polls, with
analysts expressing concern of the possible revival of the New
Order.
Daniel Sparringa of the Surabaya-based Airlangga University
warned that New Order pedigrees would take over the lead in the
fight for reform as parties that claimed to promote the spirit of
democracy wasted the momentum.
"Issues on democratization, decentralization and human rights,
were popular then, but the public immediately felt disappointed
with the loss of security and welfare as the cost they had to pay
for reform.
"I guess political parties affiliated to New Order elements
will offer issues on national unity, security and welfare, while
promising democratization and other reform goals," Daniel told
The Jakarta Post
He said the issues could easily win support from people who
were fed up with the so-called reform parties which "have done
nothing different from their predecessor."
Riswanda Imawan from the Yogyakarta-based Gajah Mada
University said that the comeback of New Order cronies could be
seen immediately following KPU's announcement of the parties that
qualified for the upcoming elections.
"Almost 60 percent of the parties are believed to be cronies
of the New Order regime," he said, without mentioning which
parties he was referring to.
Among the parties qualifying for next year's elections several
are led by former government officials or organizations
associated with former president Soeharto's New Order regime.
The return of New Order supporters in politics has been
anticipated with the success of former government officials under
Soeharto in qualifying for the election of the Regional
Representatives Council (DPD).
Indonesia is scheduled to hold a legislative election on April
5 next year and its first-ever direct presidential election three
months later.
The 1999 general election, the first since the fall of the New
Order regime in May 1998, had raised hopes for democracy, the
rule of law and civil society. But the passing time revealed the
struggle for power among parties claiming to be fighting for
sweeping reforms.
While corruption remains unabated, if not worse than before,
the parties that won House of Representatives' seats and work
together in President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet have taken
short-term political interests into account in every policy
making process.
Riswandha said the so-called reform parties had taken the New
Order lightly.
"It is a great strategy of the old regime. Its supporters have
consolidating themselves within the years when we thought they
had collapsed. It is at a time when political parties that claim
to be supporters of reform are fragmented, the consolidated-
elements of the New Order are striking back," Riswanda told the
Post.
He predicted that Golkar, the political vehicle of former
president Soeharto's New Order, would lead a move to build an
alliance with the newly established parties linked to the old
regime to win next year's elections.
"Nowadays, political parties, especially the country's biggest
parties, are facing difficulties in building a coalition among
themselves. Indeed, no parties, even the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle or Golkar, will win the majority votes during
the elections," he said.