Social indicators call for concern: Observer
JAKARTA (JP): Future quests for democracy and openness will require better cooperation among various groups in society, according to a political observer.
Kacung Marijan of the Surabaya-based University of Airlangga told The Jakarta Post on Saturday that, at present, groups which make democracy and freedom their crusade tend to move within the confines of their own organizations.
For instance, the Forum of Democracy, a small, loose organization of intellectuals and pro-democracy activists, has been very vocal in demanding more openness, but has been "walking alone", Kacung said.
"Surely, it's not their own values and goals which are worth fighting for?" Kacung said. "What about the interests and the values of other groups?"
Chairman of Forum for Democracy Abdurrahman Wahid, who is also chairman of the largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), recently compared the two organizations.
He said that NU, with its millions of followers, is a big organization with "the simple goal of asserting its independence". The Forum of Democracy, however, is a small organization "with big dreams".
Abdurrahman, also known as Gus Dur, said the merger of interests of the two groups would be instrumental in bringing about their dreams of an improved societal structure.
Kacung said that better cooperation between those groups would also be vital in safeguarding national unity, especially as developments in the coming years could spell crisis for Indonesia.
"The next five years or so may expose Indonesia to various threats," he said, attributing the possibility to a "collision" between closely-held Indonesian values and the rush to globalize.
He listed a number of areas to be treated with concern, the first of which is "a crisis in national political leadership".
"The issue of succession is still a big question mark for us," he said. "Once President Soeharto no longer leads the country, who will be in power? Will the ruling grouping Golkar and the military still be in charge?"
He said the question should be anticipated and handled with care in order to avoid plunging Indonesia into a chaos similar to what the former Soviet Union experienced several years ago.
Another concern is the amount of the country's foreign debt, which places it as the world second largest debtor country after Brazil. Domestic economic growth is high enough, but it will still have to contend with issues such as high unemployment, he said.
"We will have to find a balanced approach in pushing for more rational economic goals, without sacrificing labor," he said.
The third indicator for possible crisis in the future concerns the legal system, he said.
Most of the laws and regulations here are "inherited" from the Dutch colonial times, and are rapidly losing relevance with contemporary Indonesia, he said.
"Not every regulation here is in accordance with more superior laws..and we need to examine this if we don't want to see a chaotic legal system in the future," he warned.
Kacung also called for a strengthening of political institutions. "For instance, we need a stronger and more effective House of Representatives and political parties," he said. "They should really function as a checks and balance power over the executive branch of power." (swe)