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)