Bali Democracy Forum: Yudhoyono’s legacy at stake Mohammad Reza Adenan  ;   A graduate student at the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, A junior diplomat at the Foreign Ministry

JAKARTA POST, 25 September 2014

                                                                                                                       

                                                      

Amid heated debate over the attempt of a number of lawmakers to abolish local direct elections, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will host his last Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) on Oct. 10. If he wishes to leave a valuable legacy that people in this region will remember for decades, he will have to make this year’s forum a tour de force. The BDF is an annual event that Yudhoyono initiated in 2008 to promote and foster regional and international cooperation in peace and democracy. At its high point in 2012, the forum was attended by 12 world leaders and representatives from 81 countries and international organizations. Now in its seventh year, the event has become a premier forum for countries in the region to share constructive views, ideas and lessons of democracy. But most importantly, the forum provides a place for Indonesia to showcase its democratic development. The BDF increases Indonesia’s diplomatic leverage. Through the forum, the country can advance its role on the global stage and protect its democracy from exposure to an undemocratic region. It also serves to remind our neighbors about the importance of a working democracy. Recent events around the world have increased the significance of the BDF. For example, in Southeast Asia, the forum has been helping Myanmar not only to continue to advance its political reforms and democratic development, but also to achieve lasting peace and reconciliation. On a larger scale, the forum, through its implementation agency, the Institute of Peace and Democracy, has worked closely with countries that experienced the Arab Spring democratic movements, with the main focus on constitution drafting and institution building. So how does the debate on abolishing direct local elections affect the BDF and its achievements to date? Firstly, Indonesia’s implementation of direct elections (both local and national) has become a worldwide democratic success story. The country has been a role model for aspiring and established democracies, both in developing and developed countries. Secondly, through direct elections at every level of government, Indonesia has been able to demonstrate to the world the possibilities that democracy offers; elections have manifested the continuous struggle of the people to keep pressure on government’s responsiveness to their aspirations. Thirdly, Indonesia is among the nations that support the creation of a world order based on independence, abiding peace and social justice; this includes attempts to reinvigorate global governance by making it more representative, more efficient, more effective and, most importantly, more democratic. With the success of direct elections, strong democracy at the local and national level has kept our country’s voice loud and clear abroad. The abolition of direct local elections would diminish both the country’s democratic image and its voice in advocating a new world order based on justice and democratic representation. The forum has always stressed the importance of homegrown democracy and inclusiveness; the basic principle of respect regardless of a country’s political and ideological affinity. However, the move to abolish direct local elections could tarnish Indonesia’s reputation as the world’s leading champion of democracy. In line with this year’s topic of “Evolving democratic architecture: The challenges of political development, public participation and socio-economic progress”, Yudhoyono’s final BDF is crucial because the world is about to witness once again Indonesia’s determination to continuously consolidate, practice, embrace and promote democracy. Whatever the result of the draft bill on local elections, we know what is at stake — the vibrancy of our well-informed, democratically minded citizens. This issue is currently in the hands of several narrow-minded partisan politicians. The outcome could elevate the country’s diplomatic status to a new high, or, worryingly, drag it to a new low. ●