Dawn
Dawn
Updated 10:16pm (Mla time) Sept 24, 2004
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the September 25, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
SOUTHEAST Asia's oldest democracy, the Philippines, can only look on in envy as a democratic dawn breaks in one of the region's newest democracies, Indonesia.
We are a country that has been holding local elections since 1905 and national elections since 1935, and yet today it takes longer to count votes than ever before -- and that is, if we're even sure the votes get counted at all. What our 80 million people or so can't seem to do despite so much practice, the Indonesians have managed, even though this year marks the first time ever Indonesians have had a direct hand in electing their president. The other day, an op-ed piece in the Jakarta Post confidently proclaimed that Monday's runoff election "marks the day when elite politics finally died, six years after the Reformasi dealt it a mortal blow."
"Reformasi" is the Indonesian term for the process of democratization that began in 1998, with the fall of the dictator Suharto after massive protests rocked the nation. The apparatus of the dictatorship crumbled, but a lack of leadership failed to fill the political vacuum left by the disgrace of the longtime ruler of the world's biggest Islamic country. The Golkar party of Suharto failed to prop up his successor. Then Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle came into power but in the eyes of analysts it seemed to be more concerned with replacing the Suharto-era elite with the old elite of Sukarno days. It seemed for a time that the only groups with new ideas were the many fundamentalist religious parties that sprouted.
But something interesting has happened in Indonesia. As the author of the op-ed piece, Ong Hock Chuan, put it, "The mirror cracked further for the political elites during the general elections... Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's star began to rise. That a single man, with a military past, little support and a spanking new party could garner nearly 10 percent of the votes should have sent warning signals to the political elites."
The elite didn't listen. Yudhuyono went straight to the people, touring the country, placing ads, mounting a campaign all too familiar perhaps to Filipinos but quite breathtaking in its directness to Indonesians. What's more, Yudhuyono concentrated on courting the public instead of making back room deals, something as spectacularly new to Indonesians as it would be to Filipinos.
The party in power, and the incumbent, Megawati, kept making backroom deals, ignoring the straight-to-the-people campaign of the leading contender. The warning signs were there from the first round of the Indonesian presidential polls. The professional politicians ignored the warnings. Yudhuyono won.
Could it be, that "people power a la Indonesia is here to stay," as Ong put it? For Filipinos, it may seem a bit corny that a new era of genuine democracy is being talked about on the basis of a national election finally featuring direct campaigning and the courting of public opinion. Public opinion as a motive force in Philippine politics has been the case since 1922, when the Nacionalista Party split up between those who wanted party decisions decided by party elders, while others wanted the party to defend -- and court -- public opinion.
Whatever happens, though, the fact is that late as it may be in coming, a new dawn has come in Indonesian politics. Once things like public opinion and direct campaigning are proven to work, they become an essential part of the political system. It is tempting for Filipinos to chuckle that we have seen all of this before, and that things can always be reversed. Maybe so. But it does warm the heart to see a nation blooming with the democratic spirit.
It is time for us to take a closer look at our Malay neighbors, the closest blood brothers we have in our region: Indonesia and Malaysia. Both are taking steps toward strengthening and widening their democracy. While we may lack the resources, primarily oil, that help these nations stay afloat, we have our overseas workers serving much the same economic purpose.
The fact that Filipino terms such as "people power" still resonate in places like Indonesia should remind us that our own history and achievements still inspire others. And that, if others are making efforts to improve their democratic way of life, so can we.
Updated 10:16pm (Mla time) Sept 24, 2004
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the September 25, 2004 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
SOUTHEAST Asia's oldest democracy, the Philippines, can only look on in envy as a democratic dawn breaks in one of the region's newest democracies, Indonesia.
We are a country that has been holding local elections since 1905 and national elections since 1935, and yet today it takes longer to count votes than ever before -- and that is, if we're even sure the votes get counted at all. What our 80 million people or so can't seem to do despite so much practice, the Indonesians have managed, even though this year marks the first time ever Indonesians have had a direct hand in electing their president. The other day, an op-ed piece in the Jakarta Post confidently proclaimed that Monday's runoff election "marks the day when elite politics finally died, six years after the Reformasi dealt it a mortal blow."
"Reformasi" is the Indonesian term for the process of democratization that began in 1998, with the fall of the dictator Suharto after massive protests rocked the nation. The apparatus of the dictatorship crumbled, but a lack of leadership failed to fill the political vacuum left by the disgrace of the longtime ruler of the world's biggest Islamic country. The Golkar party of Suharto failed to prop up his successor. Then Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle came into power but in the eyes of analysts it seemed to be more concerned with replacing the Suharto-era elite with the old elite of Sukarno days. It seemed for a time that the only groups with new ideas were the many fundamentalist religious parties that sprouted.
But something interesting has happened in Indonesia. As the author of the op-ed piece, Ong Hock Chuan, put it, "The mirror cracked further for the political elites during the general elections... Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's star began to rise. That a single man, with a military past, little support and a spanking new party could garner nearly 10 percent of the votes should have sent warning signals to the political elites."
The elite didn't listen. Yudhuyono went straight to the people, touring the country, placing ads, mounting a campaign all too familiar perhaps to Filipinos but quite breathtaking in its directness to Indonesians. What's more, Yudhuyono concentrated on courting the public instead of making back room deals, something as spectacularly new to Indonesians as it would be to Filipinos.
The party in power, and the incumbent, Megawati, kept making backroom deals, ignoring the straight-to-the-people campaign of the leading contender. The warning signs were there from the first round of the Indonesian presidential polls. The professional politicians ignored the warnings. Yudhuyono won.
Could it be, that "people power a la Indonesia is here to stay," as Ong put it? For Filipinos, it may seem a bit corny that a new era of genuine democracy is being talked about on the basis of a national election finally featuring direct campaigning and the courting of public opinion. Public opinion as a motive force in Philippine politics has been the case since 1922, when the Nacionalista Party split up between those who wanted party decisions decided by party elders, while others wanted the party to defend -- and court -- public opinion.
Whatever happens, though, the fact is that late as it may be in coming, a new dawn has come in Indonesian politics. Once things like public opinion and direct campaigning are proven to work, they become an essential part of the political system. It is tempting for Filipinos to chuckle that we have seen all of this before, and that things can always be reversed. Maybe so. But it does warm the heart to see a nation blooming with the democratic spirit.
It is time for us to take a closer look at our Malay neighbors, the closest blood brothers we have in our region: Indonesia and Malaysia. Both are taking steps toward strengthening and widening their democracy. While we may lack the resources, primarily oil, that help these nations stay afloat, we have our overseas workers serving much the same economic purpose.
The fact that Filipino terms such as "people power" still resonate in places like Indonesia should remind us that our own history and achievements still inspire others. And that, if others are making efforts to improve their democratic way of life, so can we.
posted by Dante at 3:35 PM
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