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Parties 'serve corporate interests'
Indonesia has seen regime changes, but the tyranny of capital has always determined the road to power, with the democratic process benefiting only the wealthy groups at the expense of the poor majority, political experts said Tuesday
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Indonesia has seen regime changes, but the tyranny of capital has always determined the road to power, with the democratic process benefiting only the wealthy groups at the expense of the poor majority, political experts said Tuesday.
Politician and law expert Firman Jaya Daeli said because only the wealthy could win costly elections, political parties had long sought support from them to win power, in exchange for privileges that could take the form of policies favorable to the financiers.
"Because capital has played a pivotal role in winning elections, this has opened the door for wealthy groups to enter political parties and seize control of their political agendas, including those designed for the public," Firman, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told a discussion jointly held by the Institute for Policy Research and Advocacy (ELSAM) and the University of Indonesia's (UI) School of Social and Political Sciences.
UI political expert Andrinof Chaniago expressed similar sentiments.
"The golden ticket to winning a political race will go to those with huge funds," he said.
"An election victory depends on how much money a political party is investing in it. And no wonder the policies made by those political elites at the House of Representatives have discriminated against the public and served the interests of the wealthy groups who support the parties financially."
Reports are rife that legislative candidates have to donate at least Rp 500 million (US$54,600) to the political party nominating them for the upcoming election in 2009. A number of active and retired military officers reportedly paid up to Rp 3 billion to win support from a political party to contest the Jakarta gubernatorial election last year.
Law expert Abdul Hakim Garuda Nusantara warned the consolidation of political parties and wealthy groups would result in unending power circles, leaving the problem of poverty unresolved.
"Laws and regulations have been made to facilitate capital growth, which will potentially deny the public their interests," Abdul Hakim said.
Citing a few of many examples, he said laws on agriculture, forestry, foreign investment, water resources and electricity were designed to serve wealthy groups.
"While forests, land, water and electricity should benefit the public at large as mandated by the Constitution, these elite political groups formulate regulations that benefit corporations," Abdul Hakim, former chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, said.
That wealthy groups are ruling the roost is manifest in the failure of nongovernmental organizations to challenge the pro-capital laws in court, he added.
He admitted the state faced difficulties in siding with the disadvantaged majority, mainly due to stiff global competition.
"The competition has forced the state to boost investment in order to woo investors. To boost investment, the government has to support pro-investment laws," Abdul Hakim said.
"Unfortunately, while competing, the state is ignoring its own citizens."
