'Pancasila democracy maturing'
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's Pancasila democracy is now in the process of reaching maturity, although some segments of society remain dissatisfied, Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat said yesterday.
Speaking during a hearing with the House of Representatives, the retired general said that Indonesia had "widened the corridor for movement and liberty."
"Let's remember that the width of this corridor will always be a point of contention among middle class people, especially between politicians and activists on the one hand, and the government, especially those responsible for national security, on the other," he told the members of the House's Commission I, which deals with national security issues.
He said that the phenomenon he was describing was common among developing countries and that each side had its own arguments. "That's why, despite the consistent maturation process of the Pancasila democracy, not everyone is satisfied."
Edi said the laws had not kept up with the democratic changes that had occurred.
"In the absence of changes in legislation, people will try to improvise in interpreting laws that were enacted a long time ago to suit the current situation," he said.
"Such improvisation could lead to different actions by the government apparatus in different areas, although they are dealing with the same problem," he said.
"It is very possible that this is what we're seeing now, especially regarding the (government policy on) permits for public gatherings," Edi said.
The government's permit policy has been widely criticized in recent months because it has increasingly been used to bar certain cultural performances, seminars or vocal critics of the government from making public speeches. The government has announced that it is currently reviewing the policy.
Edi admitted that there were still shortcomings in Indonesia's political development, adding that "the maturation process of democracy must be pursued with an even faster momentum so that the dynamic nature of the country's economy does not slow down or stagnate."
The Armed Forces (ABRI), was also committed to the continuation of this process as well as to campaign to strengthen people's discipline, he said.
"You might want to note that the reduction in the number of seats allocated to ABRI in the House of Representatives is part of that commitment.
"The military tribunals in relation to the Liquisa incident (in East Timor) are part of its commitment to establishing discipline and democracy," Edi said.
On the government's National Discipline Campaign, launched by President Soeharto in May, Edi said that "any complaint about a lack of discipline should be first and foremost be directed towards the elite people, the leaders in society, because they are supposed to set an example for the others."
"Establishing discipline requires setting examples within a hierarchical structure. You can't expect a soldier to be disciplined if his commander behaves recklessly," he said.
During the hearing, the general was also bombarded with questions from some House members about where ABRI's political loyalties lay, amidst claims and counterclaims that the military supports Golkar, the dominant political group.
"It's mistaken to say that ABRI has forged close ties with Golkar," Edi said. "I'd prefer to say that ABRI coexists with all groups in society because it is part of the nation's strength."
The minister made a special appeal to all political parties in the country to try to resolve their internal problems before the country holds its next general election in 1997.
The emergence of rival boards in some political parties was detrimental to the Pancasila democracy, he said. "The emergence of these rival boards can also be seen as an erosion of discipline within these organizations, and the erosion of the spirit to resolve problems through dialog and consensus."
"Solving (the internal rifts) and consolidation of these political groupings is something that can no longer be postponed. It has to be done now," he said. (rms/emb)