Press Release
New Report Tackles Indonesia's Reform Challenge

 

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A group of leading Indonesian thinkers have produced a new report assessing the challenges still confronting the country on the path towards democracy. The Assessment Report, entitled Democratization in Indonesia: An Assessment, is intended as a roadmap for the reform process which began with the fall of President Soeharto more than two years ago.

Many Indonesians are now wondering what steps are needed to safeguard and build on the democratic freedoms brought by the reformasi era. The Assessment Report is intended to stimulate a debate within Indonesian society that will address this question.

The Assessment Report is the work of the Forum for Democratic Reform, a group of Indonesian parliamentarians, activists, academics, journalists and members of the military. They were brought together for several months of discussions by International IDEA, an inter-governmental organization based in Stockholm, Sweden, that aims to promote sustainable democracy and sound electoral practices around the world.

"I do hope that this, and similar reports, will be read by as many people as possible and become part of our public discourse," writes respected intellectual Nurcholish Madjid in his foreword to the Assessment Report. "We need to ensure that the momentum we now have, and the foundations we have built, do not evaporate."

The book, published initially in Indonesian, analyses a range of key issues including: the constitution and the rule of law; regional autonomy; civil-military relations; religious pluralism; gender relations; socio-economic factors and civil society. In each case, Forum members analysed the main issues at stake and present a set of detailed recommendations for further reform. An English-language version of the book will be released in February 2001.

"This assessment provides a general direction for reformasi since so far there is no such direction at all, even from the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). It's important because it promotes debate amongst the people at all levels," said Forum member Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, a noted activist and lawyer who is also a member of the MPR.

There are 295 recommendations in this Assessment Report. They include:

• Ensuring that the constitutitional review is an inclusive and participatory national process.
• Strengthen the regulations to guarantee the independence and integrity of the judiciary as well as transparency in legal procedures.
• To clearly define the parameters of regional authority and the structure of revenue sharing between the centre and regions.
• Revoking laws that preserve the military's role in politics and strengtening civil society.
• Obliging political parties to adopt minimum quotas of women candidates.
• Imposing punitive taxes on companies that damage the environment.

The Assessment Report not only suggests the next steps towards securing Indonesia's democracy, but also seeks to draw into the debate as broad a range of Indonesian society as possible. This will ensure that the democratization process remains an open and participatory one.

The Assessment Report was launched on the 16th November 2000, Thursday.

A press conference was held at the Kirana Ballroom, Kartika Chandra Hotel, Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, Jakarta.

This was followed by a panel discussion on "Reviving the Democratization Process in Indonesia". The panel discussants are: Nursyahbani Katjasungkana, a noted lawyer, activist and MPR member; Lt-Gen (TNI) Hari Sabarno, MPR Vice-Chairperson; Dr Pratikno, Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, and Laode Ida, Director of the Centre for Regional Development Studies.

For further details about the Report or the launch, please contact Jeremy Gross or Priscilla Hon at the International IDEA Jakarta Office.

Address: Wisma Nugra Santana, 14/Floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Kav 7-8, Jakarta Pusat
Tel: 021 570 0044
Fax: 021 570 2626
Email: ideaindo@cbn.net.id

The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) exists to nurture, sustain and promote democracy around the world. Global in membership and scope, independent of specific national interests and quick in its response, International IDEA is an intergovernmental organization with a unique mandate - to support the growth of genuine, sustainable democracy.

For more information about International IDEA, contact:
Mark Salter, Press Officer
International IDEA, Strömsborg, 103 34 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone +46-8-698 37 00, Fax: +46-8-20 24 22
E-mail: info@idea.int