Off the Radar Screen - Indonesian Elections Posted by Michael Cohen

You don't hear much these days about Indonesia, which is both a good . . . and a bad thing.

The bad is that Indonesia just held its third peaceful parliamentary election in the 11 years since former President Suharto was dislodged from power. This represents an important advance for democracy worldwide and strongly undermines the notion that Islam and democracy are incompatible (Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world). This is not to mention the fact that this is great news for the Indonesian people!

The good is well, free and fair elections are become so routine in the Indonesian archipelago that it no longer seems to merit much global attention.

To be sure an election in Indonesia is no easy feat: there are 171 million registered votes spread out over 900 inhabited island. Voters have 38 national parties to choose from and there an estimated 800,000 candidates for parliament on the ballot. And that's just the Parliament: there is a further presidential election in July.

To give you a sense of how challenging it is to hold an election in a country as large as Indonesia, that vote was held April 9th and we still don't have the final results.  But, in some ways, less important than the results is the seeming enshrinement of democratic governance in Indonesia's political culture. As the Economist noted last month:

Thinking back to the political chaos, bloodshed and economic meltdown that surrounded Suharto’s departure, it is hard not to be impressed that the legitimacy of this convoluted process seems to enjoy such general support in Indonesia. Democracy has taken root and flourished.

That the transformation of Indonesia has happened in such a short time - in a country with a limited tradition of democratic rule - is, in many respects, a miracle and a further reminder about the indigenous nature of democratic transformation. Spurred by the Asian Financial Crisis, the removal of Suharto from power and the beginning of the "Reformasi" movement in the country was a homegrown endeavor. While democracy in Indonesia is far from perfect the signs to date are incredibly encouraging - a fact that has not gone unnoticed by the Obama Administration, as Secretary of State Clinton visited Jakarta in February and offered support for the democratic experiment unfolding there.

One of the most encouraging elements of that trip were signs that America's assistance support for Indonesia will continue, with a new arrangement to return the Peace Corps to Indonesia and the possibility of a further MCC compact down the road.  Simply because a country has started on the road to democratic rule does not mean its time to turn the aid spigot off. If anything, quite the opposite, as foreign assistance can play a crucial role in strengthening and solidifying democratic practices. Indonesia needs more, not less help from the US in ensuring that democratic gains there are consolidated.

Even more noteworthy is the role of political Islam in Indonesian affairs. According to early estimates of last month's poll Islamist parties did not fare well. This continues a trend of more orthodox Islamist groups demonstrating dwindling public support; with secular Islamic parties faring much better. 

One of the interesting points that my blogmate Shadi Hamid makes here is that by engaging Islamic groups in the election process - as oppose to banning them - Islamists don't become the face of the democratic opposition: they are judged on their own merits. What we've seen in Indonesia is that the more extreme a party's view of Islam's role in society the less well they fare at the ballot box.

There is a lesson here for US policymakers who fear free and fair elections featuring Islamist parties. Of course, it's hard to draw direct parallels between the experience of Indonesian democracy and that of other Muslim countries. Every country has its own unique political culture. But perhaps bringing Islamic parties into the political process may not necessarily be such a bad thing. In fact, if anything it might be the most effective tool at neutralizing the most toxic elements of Islamic orthodoxy.  Indeed, if Indonesia's experiment in democracy tells us anything it's that we should trust the voters.

Comments

[Don Bacon]

Good posting. Indonesia in the world (besides its Muslim significance) ranks 4 in population, 19 in GDP and 13 in military, is rich in natural resources, enjoys an important geographical position, and deserves more of our attention.

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[Brian Harding]

Worth noting that the return of Peace Corps has been mooted several times in the past - and Indonesia has never agreed to its return. Meanwhile, there's been a dramatic expansion of the Fulbright program, including the English language assistantship program, which actually looks an aweful lot like Peace Corps.

Also worth noting that the MCC compact WILL go through, as Indonesia has already become compact eligible -- should be in the neighborhood of $500-600 million over five years.

Look out for an Obama trip to Indonesia in November around the time of the APEC summit in Singapore...

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In 2007, Indonesia enjoyed strong economic growth accompanied by healthy increases in private consumption and investment...