Maarif Institute Executive Director Andar Nubowo explained that the series of political events to date strengthen the argument that democracy in Indonesia is experiencing democratic regression.
“This is not natural of course, but by design by the powers that be or political forces,” he told Media Indonesia, Thursday (29/8).
He said, the decline of democracy occurred because political power converged between oligarchy, plutocracy and partocracy. “So this is the power of certain elites who are still alive in small numbers, the power of the rich, and also the power of political parties,” he explained
“Well, these three forces are now converging, uniting, which in their own ways then weakens democracy,” Andar added.
According to him, many decisions no longer reflect the will of the people, the practice of buying and selling policies and positions.
This phenomenon not only damages the national political order, but also creates an ever-widening gap of injustice, where the interests of a handful of political and economic elites override the aspirations and needs of the people at large.
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In relation to the incident of constitutional robbery some time ago which caused public unrest regarding the decision taken by the People’s Representative Council (DPR) until it finally returned to running under the constitution, it was not just a series of events that brought democracy back to normal.
Andar emphasized that his party did not do this at all and hoped that civil society would not relinquish control over the control of the practices of political elites.
“Because if we give them a blank check again or in other words, trust in them, that is also dangerous,” he said.
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“We give a blank check to Mr. Jokowi’s power, for example, full trust, Mr. Jokowi is a good person, but in the end, without us realizing it, Mr. Jokowi, for example, instrumentalizes politics and law for political interests,” he stressed.
Although the DPR and the Government, in this case the President of the Republic of Indonesia, comply with the Constitutional Court’s decision regarding the regional elections, elements of society must monitor this.
“This means that democracy requires a balanced opposition, there is power but there are also people who control that power, there are elements of society who control that,” he explained.
“And in this context I think we, society, civil society, media, campuses, intellectuals, civil organizations, religious must continue to be vigilant, to carry out class supervision that threats to democracy and public freedom continue to haunt us,” he concluded. (Far/P-2)
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