'Pancasila democracy maturing'

'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)