Voters teach bad parties good lesson

Voters teach bad parties good lesson

Frans H. Winarta, Member of the Advisory Board,
IBA Human Rights Institute, Jakarta

Although the ballot count is not yet completed, it seems clear
that the 2004 legislative election will not produce a majority
party that has gained the overwhelming support of the nation's
147 million voters. The first round of the presidential election
in July is not likely to be much different.

Unlike the political systems of most Western countries, where
two major parties compete with one another as the ruling and
opposition parties, Indonesia has a multi-party system. The
consequence of such a system is that, in order to establish a
strong government, coalitions of parties with similar political
platforms need to be formed with the support of the legislature.

After the fall of the Soeharto regime, the nation has often
felt the need for strong government, but the multi-party system
does not allow for a single party to dominate the polls. The only
viable alternative to producing a strong and effective government
is form a coalition party.

Since the first election in 1955, it has been a part of the
Indonesian political culture that parties can usually be
categorized as nationalist, religious or socialist. Observing the
preliminary results of this year's election, it can be said that
parties with a nationalist orientation have the potential to form
a workable coalition. Religion-oriented parties are not able to
attract sufficient support, as religion is considered a past
issue in Indonesian politics and not immediately relevant to
current development needs.

The results of the legislative election indicate that the
public is becoming increasingly secular in their political
outlook. Religious issues are considered as being not
sufficiently relevant to the country's current political and
economic imperatives. Religion in politics tends to be emotional
and can lead to conflict at both the national level -- as
dramatically illustrated in Maluku and Poso -- and in
international affairs, as in the al-Qaeda threat.

Affairs of state are quite separate from religion and the
people are bored with the promises made by unscrupulous
politicians who claim piety. Last month's Malaysian elections
illustrated that voters will not easily buy into religion as a
political commodity.

Rather, the issues of combating corruption, good governance,
modernization, stability, economic growth, rule of law and law
enforcement are those that grab the attention of voters. The
success of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) could well be
attributed to its anticorruption message rather than its Islamist
policies.

What is exciting and promising about the 2004 elections is
that voters are prepared to punish those parties that broke their
promises in 1999 and are looking to new parties -- parties that
they hope will be able to bring about change and a breath of
fresh air into the Indonesian political arena.

Of course, it is still too early to expect too much from these
new parties, as they have yet to be tested, do not have extensive
organization and experience, and may yet turn out to be just as
neglectful of their promises as veteran parties. It will be
interesting to see how faithful the politicians will be to their
promises this time around.

During the campaign, political parties appeared highly
unskilled in communicating workable and meaningful programs.
Instead, they resorted to manipulating the emotions of their
constituents with empty promises, musical performances, soap
stars and sexy dangdut dancers.

In addition, money politics again reared its ugly head. In the
midst of demands for the eradication of corruption and the
creation of a clean, efficient government, parties promised a new
paradigm, but instead delivered the same old products, the same
moves and same lies dressed up in new packaging. Some parties
even offered voters a second chance to become Soeharto loyalists,
an offer that is illogical and insulting to the people's
intelligence.

As mentioned, the people are becoming increasingly rational in
choosing parties and leaders as reflected in their newfound
courage and willingness to dump those parties that have
disappointed them and looking for something better.

This fresh, swinging voter trend in the democratization
process will have a positive impact on democratic life, as future
political leaders will not be able to get away so easily with
breaking promises and playing on the people's sentiments without
being punished in the next election.

It is to be hoped that in elections to come, real competition
on the political stage will emerge between prospective leaders
who truly aspire to meet voter demands and fight for the future
of the Indonesian people.

Returning to the formation of a strong coalition government,
this can be achieved realistically through an alliance of
political parties with a nationalist ideology representing all
groups in society. A government that is rational, honest,
efficient, committed to technological advancement, respectful of
human rights and the rule of law will be the one that offers the
brightest prospects for fulfilling the people's demands for
peace, security, justice and prosperity.

It must govern according to meritocracy and invite all
components of the nation to join hands -- that is, no
discrimination or special treatment for certain classes. To
achieve these goals, a cabinet comprised of ministers who truly
understand the demands of their constituents -- not those who are
just learning on the job -- is necessary.

We need ministers who work for the interests of the nation and
not for the interests of their own party. We do not need
ministers who only speak for themselves and are neglectful in
what they communicate to the President. Ministers must enter the
cabinet to truly assist the President or else join the opposition
in offering constructive criticism.

Let us hope that the 2004 elections will pave the way for a
better tomorrow in which the people of Indonesia uphold the
principle of unity in diversity and diversity within a united
purpose.