Political supervision expected from civilians

The tense build-up, marked by intimidation, to the Aceh gubernatorial election has destabilized economic and social life, says a civil rights activist.

Weak law enforcement, mismanagement in governance and a chaotic political scene and social communication are believed to have exacerbated the situation.

“The situation is, of course, detrimental to small communities not directly involved in politics but who will bear the brunt of socioeconomic problems,” Juanda Jamal, spokesman of the Aceh Civil Society Task Force (ACSTF), said in Banda Aceh recently.

He said the struggle over who would govern Aceh had also contributed to the stagnant economy, especially at the grassroots level, resulting in low economic growth and a rising poverty level.

“Based on Aceh Central Statistics Agency (BPS) data, poverty in Aceh has risen as of the end of 2011,” said Juanda.

Political intrigue has prompted the delay of the elections several times, with the latest decision to move the polls from Feb. 16 to April 9.

On Sunday, the head of the campaign team for the incumbent governor, who is seeking a second term, was a target of intimidation when gunmen fired a barrage of shots at his house.

Juanda said that weak participation of civil society organizations (CSO) in supervising the overall Aceh election process was also to blame for conflicts of interests among stakeholders involved in Aceh’s political arena and administration.

On New Year’s Eve, workers, mostly from Java, were terrorized by mysterious shootings.

Juanda said that one of the ways to resolve the issue was by bringing together political groups and administrations in a consensus and involving elements of civil society that had been neglected in Aceh following the peace agreement and the reconstruction process after the 2004 tsunami.

Juanda also emphasized the crucial role of the police in creating security in the province.

“Of the 21 cases of violence in Aceh ahead of the elections, the police have not solved any,” said Juanda.

The weak role of civil societal elements in Aceh is thought to stem from the lack of a common vision among civil society in Aceh. Many civil societal elements in Aceh have refused to speak out about the current situation in Aceh.

“We believe many societal elements in Aceh are involved in political squabbling ahead of the elections, from campaign teams to supporters for a particular candidate,” said Imam Syuja, a former legislator at the House of Representatives.

Imam said the Aceh legislature should help facilitate a consensus with all political stakeholders and societal elements.

“We hope all civil society groups will be critical and responsive to the political dynamism in the wake of the election campaign period.”