INDONESIA: Broad opposition to 'rotten' politicians

February 4, 2004
Issue 

Max Lane

The Indonesian people's contempt for, and rejection of, the country's elit politik (political elite) is wide and deep. So deep, that a term that began as a normal sociological description is now a form of insult used by the masses. Several political initiatives have been launched to try to tap this sentiment.

The rejection of the elit politik by the majority of the population has been reflected in numerous opinion polls. No politician has been able to gain more than 25-30% support, and most politicians have almost no real popularity. Figures for "don't know yet" or "none of these" almost always gain the largest vote.

The anti-elite sentiment is also reflected in the sustained popularity of newspapers like Rakyat Merdeka. Every day, Rakyat Merdeka exposes the huge wealth of politicians, government bureaucrats and big businesspeople, and lashes out at their support for policies that hit the poor and workers hardest.

As a result, Rakyat Merdeka is the largest circulating daily newspaper in Jakarta.

However, the newspaper has paid for its anti-elite stance. On October 27, Rakyat Merdeka editor Supratman was given a suspended six-month jail term for defaming Indonesia's President Megawati Sukarnoputri (because of a cartoon that caricatured her).

Initiatives

The first serious attempt to politically tap the anti-elite sentiment in the lead-up to the 2004 general election was the formation of the National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians. The movement was founded on December 29 by a coalition of intellectual-politicians, most notably the pro-neoliberal economist Faisal Basri, and activists from non-government organisations. Teten Mazduki from Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) and Longgena Ginting from the environmental group Friends of the Earth-WALHI are prominent.

There have been student demonstrations in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi calling on Indonesians not to vote for "the rotten politicians". Some of these protests have been violently dispersed by the police. Activist groups have also set up posko, neighbourhood command posts to mobilise people for these demonstrations.

Another initiative is the formation of the Alliance for the Salvation of Indonesia, which held a rally in Jakarta on January 22, attended by several thousand people. This group, which also includes some elite figures, rejects Indonesia's mainstream political parties.

Its founders include: Hariman Siregar, an adviser to former Indonesian president BJ Habibie; civil rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution, who is also close to Habibie; former Jakarta police chief Noegroho Djajoesman; Suripto, who is close to the moderate Islamic and anti-corruption Justice Party; and left populist critic Rachmawati Sukarnoputri.

Also present was former general and Golkar party presidential candidate Wiranto. Golkar is the party of former Indonesian dictator Suharto. Wiranto has been trying hard to exploit the mass anti-elite sentiment. He is also the only prominent politician to promise an end to military operations in Aceh, which he describes as being counter-productive because they only generate popular resentment against Jakarta among the Acehnese people.

Another former general, Try Sutrisno, has also formed the Great Indonesia Awakening Movement, which is also trying to capitalise on sentiment against the elit politik.

On January 26, the left-wing Peoples Democratic Party (PRD) released a list of 15 "rotten politicians" and nine "rotten parties" that should not be elected in 2004. The PRD's list covers the major military and political figures from the Suharto era, who are now standing for various political parties. As well as Golkar chairperson Akbar Tanjung, the list includes President Sukarnoputri, vice-president Hamzah Haz, parliamentary speaker Amien Rais and former president Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

The "rotten parties" named by the PRD include all the large mainstream parties. The list also includes the Star and Crescent Party, a right-wing Islamic party headed by the current minister for law and human rights (and a former Suharto speech writer), as well as the party sponsoring Suharto's daughter for president and another party set up by various former Suharto-era generals.

The PRD said it included on its list "those who had enjoyed the benefits of participating in 32 years of [Suharto's] rule, who had betrayed reformasi total and who had failed to solve the national political and economic crisis when in power, and had in fact only made things worse". The PRD also criticised the National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians for not rejecting politicians who support policies that cause poverty.

Moderates back down

In response to the National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians' formation, Golkar's Tanjung demanded that the movement present proof of alleged wrongdoing by politicians.

Immediately following the release of the PRD's list of "rotten" politicians and parties, the Patriot Party, which is based on the formerly Golkar-controlled Pancasila Youth militia, requested that the police prosecute the PRD for slander.

These threats succeeded in pressuring the National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians into not announcing names of politicians it considers rotten. The group's leaders stated that it was up to the "grassroots" to decide who was "rotten" and who was not.

This was a blow to the prestige of the National Movement Against Electing Rotten Politicians and the idea that there could be a viable coalition between anti-neoliberal NGOs and the pro-neoliberal, anti-corruption politicians.

The PRD is now seeking to establish a broader alliance willing to continue the campaign against corrupt politicians and human rights abusers seeking election. The PRD's call for the rejection of politicians and parties who refuse to tackle the national political and economic crisis, or address poverty, has taken the process of giving the massive anti-elite sentiment a political agenda a step further.

From Green Left Weekly, February 4, 2004.
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