Political reform unlikely: Scholar

Political reform unlikely: Scholar

SEMARANG, Central Java (JP): Political reform is unlikely to
occur in Indonesia in the foreseeable future, despite the
increasing demand for it, according to a political analyst.

Afan Gaffar says that the political institutionalization that
the New Order government has been pursuing over the past two
decades is simply too strong to allow reform to take place.

Besides that, he claims, there are strong indications that
the people are generally in favor of maintaining the present
political system because they feel it is conducive to continued
economic development.

"This situation makes change difficult in the current
political system," the political scientist from the Yogyakarta's
Gadjah Mada University said in a seminar here last week.

According to Afan, reform will be possible only if the laws
governing the political process are revised, something which is
close to impossible, he said, if the initiative is expected to
come from the ruling Golkar party.

"Golkar will definitely reject any idea of amending the laws
because it would harm, rather than promote, its interests," said
the scholar, who has been praised for his outspokenness.

Calls for a political overhaul have been made repeatedly by
the United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic
Party (PDI). They almost always raise the issue during sessions
of the People's Consultative Assembly, which are held once every
five years prior to the presidential election.

Currently, the demand is being amplified by political
activists. In Jakarta, a Surabaya student has been on a hunger
strike, demanding a change to numerous laws on the political
process which he says are retarding democracy.

Afan said that the New Order government did not adequately
allow the people to participate in the political decision-making
process.

"However, I hope there will be gradual change for the better,"
he said.

Afan welcomed those of the government's policies which he
viewed as paving the way for democracy, such as the establishment
of the National Commission on Human Rights and the plan to slash
the number of seats reserved for the Armed Forces in the House of
Representatives.

The government has also promised to give the PPP and the PDI a
greater say in the conduct of general elections.

However, Afan said he doubted that the current flurry of
activity would bring about any significant progress towards
democratization.

"I doubt that the future election will be more democratic. So
long as the election is not conducted by an independent
institution, we cannot expect it will be democratic," he said.

Currently, general elections are carried out by the
government, whose officials are members of the Golkar party.

The establishment of the National Commission on Human Rights
was heartening, he said, although it mainly served as a mediator
in conflicts between the people and the state or private
companies. (har/pan)