Pushing toward change
As the legislative elections on April 5 draw closer, fears of a reemergence of authoritarian rule in the style of the corruption-riddled New Order regime of deposed president Soeharto appear to be gaining in strength among the doomsayers in Indonesia's prodemocracy movement. And, to be sure, a few signals that have appeared in recent weeks seem to give at least some ground for such gloom.
A well-known maxim of political theory contends that, in order for the renewal of an existing political system to occur smoothly, it must accommodate elements from the regime that is to be replaced. That appears to be what has happened in Indonesia during the past five years under the so-called reformasi movement, which students and pro-democracy activists spearheaded in 1997.
The problem is that, over those past five years, the camp of pro-democracy reformers has shown itself to be sadly lacking in a leadership strong and capable enough to push the democratization process towards its goal of building a sound and credible civil society, without wasting too much time and energy. At the same time, the reform movement has been facing a well-established and well-organized contender eager to reestablish its hold on the country. The recent statement made by retired Army Gen. Hartono that "those who are against the New Order are against (the state philosophy) Pancasila," is a timely reminder of how leaders and backers of the old regime still see themselves as guardians of the state and the state ideology.
Some arguments that have been made by New Order elements to disparage the incumbent regime are difficult to challenge. Poverty and corruption still thrive, or have become worse, as some critics allege. Security and stability have improved, but only at the cost of restoring some of the powers the military had lost at the start of the reform movement.
The other side of the coin, of course, is that substantial progress has been made on the road to democratization. All criticism notwithstanding, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has done a pretty good job of setting the stage for elections on both the legislative, the presidential and the vice-presidential levels. The main task at this particular point is to explain the steps and procedures that voters will have to follow in the forthcoming elections -- with special emphasis on the legislative elections, which will take place on April 5.
There are very real fears the new procedures may confuse voters, especially the less-educated, who are used to being presented with a sheet of paper imprinted simply with the symbols of the various parties contesting the general elections. In the so-called "open proportional" system that will be applied in the upcoming election, voters will also have to choose from among a list of photographs of candidates, some -- or most -- of whom may be unfamiliar to them.
With less than three months now remaining until voting day, no time should be lost educating the voters and making sure that all the rules and regulations are well understood. Provided the General Elections Commission and the Election Supervisory Committee continue to do their job with the dedication and commitment they have displayed so far, we see little reason to doubt that the forthcoming elections will constitute a step forward in the process of democratization and toward the building of a healthy civil society in this country.