Scholars urge government to loosen its political grip

Scholars urge government to loosen its political grip

JAKARTA (JP): The government should loosen its political grip
and allow the people to air aspirations freely, two prominent
scholars said Wednesday.

Political observer Arbi Sanit of the University of Indonesia
and theologian Mudji Sutrisno of the Driyarkara School of
Philosophy said the government has played an overly-dominant role
in politics.

They made the remarks Wednesday night at a weekly discussion
organized by the Moslem Paramadina Foundation.

Arbi said the government was so powerful that its political
games were "unfair" as they placed the people in weak positions.

He accused the government of becoming authoritarian, and said
it often justified all means to achieve its goals.

According to Arbi, what the government ought to do is to
empower the people, lessen its political domination and allow
healthy competition in the society.

Now the 30-year-old New Order government has brought about
economic success and political awareness has improved, greater
freedom is being demanded for people to express their opinions,
he said.

"People are demanding political fair play," he said. "Even
people in rural areas are better educated now."

Heavy handed approach to sociopolitical problems were no
longer relevant as people were better educated, he stressed.

Armed Forces members who assumed civilian posts in the
bureaucracy should shed their military outlook and attitude, he
said.

Mudji Sutrisno said laws had become an instrument to
legitimize power, and that the people had no access to their
design and implementation. (03)