Arus Mundur Demokrasi [The Backward Current of Democracy]

Abstract

An opinion article by Bima Arya, Mayor of Bogor, in the daily Kompas, with an illustration by Jitet, rejecting the plan to return the election of regional heads to the regional legislatures (DPRD) as a backward current and a serious threat to democratic consolidation. Citing Juan Linz's view that democracy is consolidated when it becomes the only game in town, the author asserts that direct regional elections (pilkada) were born to erode the oligarchy of local elites and to place citizens as the main actors in leadership succession. He acknowledges the problems of political costs and money politics, but argues that the answer is to improve regulations and political culture, not to change the system. Based on his experience of winning the Bogor City election at a cost far below what senior figures had advised, he highlights the rise of a middle class and young people who cannot be bought by money politics, and closes with James Clarke's saying about politicians who think of the next election and statesmen who think of the next generation.