S

oon after the downfall of president Soeharto’s authoritarian regime, optimism abounded that political freedom would usher in a functional democracy with political parties competing to create good governance.

But the presence of dozens of political parties has only complicated the problems that the country has had to deal with, with political parties now engaging in corruption.

But corruption is not the only problem plaguing political parties.

Expected to be the backbone of the country’s democracy, political parties have shunned democratic principles by having one popular leader, or a small clique of elites, controlling party resources.

Despite their claims of upholding democratic principles, hence names such as the Democratic Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), their behaviors has been anything but.

Party leaders took over their respective parties when they sensed that democratic procedures within their party had harmed their interests.

These elites wield uncontested power and expand their control over the country’s political sys-tem by controlling the decision-making process through their emissaries who serve as members of the House of Representatives and government officials.

Many have challenged the domination of the oligarchs but have had to pay the price for their efforts, such as has befallen former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and former chairman of NasDem’s board of experts Hary Tanoesoedibjo.

Fifteen years after the start of the reform movement, fresh reform should be called for or the country will be at risk of experiencing a paralyzed democracy.