JakartaPost-Oct 29, 2023
In a region that is witnessing democratic stagnation and regression, it is hoped that Indonesia may demonstrate progress as the country enters its election season for next year, making it an important role model for Southeast Asia, a conference heard recently. Scholars and experts from several countries in the region, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, convened at the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII) in Depok, West Java, from Thursday to Friday, where they discussed election results in the region and their impact on democracy and human rights. Throughout the talk, analysts agreed that Southeast Asia is currently backsliding or, at the very least, stagnating, with regard to democracy as a result of domestic political occurrences around or during elections. Indonesia, for example, has seen many indications of democratic regression leading up to the 2024 elections. The nation has increasingly become subject to a phenomenon called “presidentialization”, where incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has tended to govern without much outside interference, especially during his second term, according to Djayadi Hanan, UIII senior lecturer and executive director of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI). “Indonesia’s democratic breakdown possibly stems from its weak rule of law,” Djayadi said in the discussion on Thursday, “shown by the personalization of political parties, executive aggrandizement and the public’s low trust in the legislative bodies and political parties.” Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/indonesia/2023/10/29/2024-elections-chance-to-rejuvenate-democracy-in-southeast-asia.html.
