M

any are becoming pessimistic over Indonesia'€™s political leadership when it comes to the upcoming 2014 general election. They remain faithful to the country'€™s constant political landscape fraught with corruption, abuse of power and nepotism.

With young politicians entangled in graft scandals such as Anas Urbaningrum and Andi Mallarangeng, people are increasingly convinced that putting much credence on the new generation of politicians does not make any difference as they eventually slip into similar political decadence. Not to mention the absence of high-minded political culture marked by the willingness to accept the victory of political opponents in many local elections.

Despite pervasive public despair and dismay, I am of the opinion that Indonesia'€™s political scene is now getting into burgeoning political inclusivity, which is basically central to establishing Indonesia'€™s political maturity.

First, local leaders are on their way to winning public sympathy. While politicians in the capital continue to lose public trust due to their blunders the new generation of local leaders are beginning to attain glorious achievements in various fields.

Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo, the Jakarta governor and former Solo mayor, is among those pioneering the country'€™s political inclusivity. He is not simply noted for his down-to-earth leadership either in Jakarta or Solo, but he is also better known for his '€œtransformation in action'€ while executing his leadership. His success in relocating street vendors from Tanah Abang or river restorations in Jakarta, to mention just a few, suggests that he defines his work through setting change in motion in a speedy manner.

Such is the case with Ridwan Kamil, the recently inaugurated mayor of Bandung. He is neither part of the senior politicians nor a figure with significant political experience.

Rather he is an internationally acclaimed architect and urban planner, a strong selling point in the hearts and minds of the public even prior to soaring party endorsement. His professional background goes above and beyond his political magnetism.

Together with Jokowi and Ridwan Kamil, this country is now laden with local leaders managing to place the very nature of decentralization on a pedestal '€” Amran Nur, the mayor of the small town of Sawahlunto in West Sumatra (2003-2013), Tri Rismaharini, Surabaya mayor, Muda Mahendrawan, the regent of Kubu Raya in West Kalimantan, or Abdul Kholiq Arif, the regent of Wonosobo in Central Java, represent public leaders who give hope to the people amid the country'€™s leadership crisis.

Second, leaders with an activist or political academic background are preferred over the typical career bureaucrats. The appearance of activists or those with political academic backgrounds onto the political stage cannot be separated from their strong emphasis on change. The advent of figures like these inspires new hope for voters and brings a breath of fresh air.

Along with their intelligence and high integrity, these are also leaders who offer better promises, particularly in regards to anticorruption campaigns and engaging more closely with constituents. They inspire more hope than the older generation of leaders. The idea being, if there is someone offering something new, why stick with the old one? The new leaders are more promising.

This is particularly true, for example, as Bima Arya won the Bogor mayoral election recently. Many ascribe his electoral triumph to his modern views and pro-change mindset. The latter is visible through his concern with minority rights issues.

On many occasions, Bima has shown commitment to reviewing the case of the Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin, which remains sealed off despite two Supreme Court rulings for Bogor'€™s outgoing mayor, Diani Budiarto, to allow the congregation back in. Bima is deemed as standing firm against all intolerant groups.

His pro-change and awareness of minority rights issues are instrumental in boosting his name among voters. Despite the shellacking of his party '€” the National Mandate Party (PAN) '€” in many polls, Bima'€™s fame hails largely from his more modern viewpoint and preference for inviting voter involvement in governance rather than patronizing the public. In this regard, his victory is considered as having a positive and significant impact on policy making.

Like Ridwan, Bima'€™s victory is also linked to his seriousness about using social media during his campaign. He really believes that utilizing an array of social media is a powerful strategic tool in any campaign for modern politicians. His tactic of executing a sophisticated social media strategy is efficacious in getting potential voters to the polls.

Third, the process of selecting political leaders has become more popular. Despite its drawbacks, the Democratic Party'€™s convention to select its 2014 presidential candidate played a significant role in prompting pro-public and practical mechanisms to choose a presidential candidate. One might suspect that such a convention is just another way for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono'€™s to restore his party'€™s broken image.

What is crystal clear, however, is that 11 participants of the convention indicated more space and opportunities for non-politicians to join the political contest. Like it or not, the convention strived to do away with political patronage, encourage democratic measures to elect presidential hopefuls and, above all, pave the way for blossoming political inclusivity in this nation.
 
The writer is a lecturer in the Faculty of Cultural Sciences at Andalas University.