2 - Indonesia’s democracy in a comparative perspective

Summary

About 10 years ago I sat in the audience at an international conference as a group of panelists argued about the state of Indonesian democracy 10 years after the fall of Suharto. The conversation was very much glass half-empty/half-full in character. The participants were largely in agreement about the bright spots and the worrying aspects of Indonesia's democracy. On the positive side of the ledger: 10 years of political stability; elections that were relatively free, fair and peaceful; a lack of electoral success for ethnic, regional or extremist parties; independent checks on state power in the form of the Constitutional Court and the Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, KPK); and three peaceful transitions of power. Concerns included continued high levels of corruption; new threats to the power and independence of supervisory agencies; illiberal responses to Islamic extremist groups; and the diminution of accountability in the face of party cartels. Where the panelists disagreed was on the weight they assigned to each of these indicators. Some, looking backward and outward (comparing Indonesia with countries like Russia or Thailand), could not help but be impressed at Indonesia's ability to successfully navigate the difficult seas of a democratic transition. Others, looking forward and inward, could not take their eyes off the storm clouds they saw on the horizon.

Ten years later we sit at another natural assessment point. Despite its many challenges and weaknesses, Indonesian democracy has survived another decade. Twenty years of stable, functioning democracy is no mean achievement, and should be recognised and praised for the accomplishment it is. And yet, the global and regional trend towards autocratisation, even among some longstanding democracies, should give us pause. The erosion of democratic norms and practices in countries as diverse as the Philippines, Hungary, Venezuela and the United States suggests that democracy should not be taken for granted—even as we acknowledge Indonesia's impressive accomplishments to date.

In this chapter I examine the state of democracy in Indonesia through an explicitly comparative lens. I begin with a brief overview of the state of democracy in the world, before taking a closer look at Southeast Asia. I find that, in a comparative light, Indonesian democracy looks fairly good.