Sultans want return to 'good old days'

Sultans want return to 'good old days'

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

The political clout of princely rulers in Indonesia basically
came to an end with the implementation of the Regional
Administration Law (No. 1/1957), which abolished the autonomous
administrations previously governed by sultans and traditional
rulers nationwide.

But, along with the drastic change in the political climate
in 1998 that accompanied the ouster of president Soeharto, a
number of traditional rulers have apparently been eyeing a return
to politics.

Some doyens of princely families have joined political
parties, including Princess Koes Moertiyah from the Surakarta
sultanate, who won a seat in the House of Representatives for the
1999-2004 term representing the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P). Some others have demanded that they be granted
formal positions in local government, arguing that this is only
fitting given their positions in the community.

The yearning for political power surfaced again during the
Fourth Palace Festival held in Yogyakarta from Sept. 26 to
September 29.

In the Archipelago Culture seminar held at the Hotel Inna
Garuda recently, which was participated in by 40 representatives
of princely families from around the country, many of the
delegations stated their wish to see a revival of the political
roles of traditional rulers.

Ratu Nita Budhi, the head of the delegation from the Ternate
keraton (palace) in Sulawesi, explicitly expressed a desire for
the princely families to have their political roles restored.

She said that besides being focuses of cultural heritage, the
country's traditional rulers had a major influence on society.
She proposed that they be allowed to participate in the formal
governmental system so that they could help produce policies that
would benefit their subjects.

A desire to return to politics was also expressed by the
festival chairman, Kanjeng Gusti Bendoro Haryo Hadi Winoto, the
younger brother of Yogyakarta's sultan, Hamengkubuwono X. The
traditional ruler of Yogyakarta is the only one in the country to
be granted the privilege by law of simultaneously serving as
governor. The right was accorded in recognition of the Yogyakarta
sultanate's contribution to the Indonesian fight against the
Dutch.

It could not be denied, said Hadi Winoto, that the keraton
were the cultural centers of their respective regions. They
retained this role to the present day, and served as guiding
forces in society.

"The keraton must be recognized as national assets and allowed
to play an active role in making changes," he said.

However, some of the representatives were not fully in accord
with this sentiment. Princess Koes Moertiyah from the Surakarta
keraton said that it would be better for the nation's princely
families to stick to their role of preserving the country's
traditions and cultures in the current era of globalization.
Besides maintaining the historical heritage of past generations,
these cultures were also of benefit to society. "Some people tend
to disregard the state's laws nowadays. But, deep in their
hearts, they are still unwilling to violate traditional values
and norms as they are afraid of being ostracized by society. The
role of the keraton should be focused on helping preserve these
traditional values in the community," she said.

Autonomy and keraton expert from Gadjah Mada University, Ari
Dwipayana, said the return of the keraton to politics would be a
retrograde step for democracy. In a democracy, every citizen was
equal and no one should be accorded special rights.

"If the keraton are given formal recognition, this would
result in confusion as between state and cultural authority. As a
consequence, the exercise of power would become more centralized
and difficult to control," said Ari.