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.