Indonesia … a crisis of confidence that threatens the greatest Islamic democracy
Indonesia – The largest Islamic country in terms of population, and one of the most important economies in Southeast Asia – has witnessed unprecedented disorders for more than two decades, its spark has launched a debate on the financial privileges of members of the Parliament, but it quickly turned into a wave of anger that reveals a deeper crisis linked to confidence in political and security institutions.
The scene did not stop during the separate demonstrations of the students, but quickly degenerated to the violence which left the death, of the wounded and material losses, and led to the arrest of hundreds. It should be noted that the race incident on a young man in the hands of a police vehicle increased the fire and gave the movement a dimension that goes beyond the economic requirements to demand the reform of the police and consider social justice.
On the other hand, President Prabu Sobanto has tried to absorb anger by announcing the reduction of deputies’ allowances, but his measure was accompanied by a tribute to the security forces and the promotions of a certain number of its elements, which made the student opposition saw a “contradictory message” between the response to the street and the membership of the security approach.
At the regional level, neighboring capitals look forward to the crisis, because the stability of Indonesia is a corner stone in the security of Southeast Asia and its economic growth. China – The first trading partner – quickly declared its support for the management of Sobanto, reflecting the importance of Indonesian internal balance on the international scene.
Sudan lessons:
What is happening in Indonesia reminds me of the experience of Sudan in its weak democracy, because many deputies were occupied by high salaries, incentives, cars, farms and residential land, but rather came to obtain stands and commercial stores as additional sources of income. The result was the loss of popular confidence and the transformation of parliament into a square of close interests, rather than being a platform for surveillance, legislation and service for citizens.
The Sudanese scene shows that the crisis of confidence between peoples and their representatives is not exclusive to a specific country, but rather a dilemma confronted with emerging democracies whenever particular interests have overcome the general duty.
A summary:
What is happening today in Jakarta is not reduced to the question of “wages of deputies”, but rather reflects a crisis of structural confidence in institutions, and puts direction before a difficult test: how a balance between the need for serious reform and the taxation of order? This is an examination that will result in not only the characteristics of the next step in Indonesia, but also the image of the country as a force of stability in an Islamic and regional volatile world.
God is the guardian of success
