T

he police’s decision to name incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama a suspect in a blasphemy case on Wednesday came as no surprise given the uphill challenge facing law enforcers, as evident in the massive Nov. 4 protest against the gubernatorial candidate. Still, the much-anticipated prosecution of Ahok has cast doubts over the nation’s respect for the rule of law as an inseparable part of the democracy that Indonesia claims to embrace.

Satisfactory responses from those who demanded that Ahok face trial on blasphemy charges and those who wanted to see him declared a suspect in order to prevent national disintegration and calm the political climate only point to the need for a graceful exit in favor of them.

Prior to the police’s announcement concerning Ahok’s case, calls had circulated for a larger rally on Nov. 25 if the police failed to name him a suspect.

Ahok’s case regretfully is not the first to show the vulnerability of law enforcement to public pressure, either through mass mobilization or opinion building in both mainstream and social media.

No matter how credible the integrity of the law enforcers or judiciary power, without independence on their part, including from public bullying, we cannot expect a fair criminal justice system to prevail.

Several weeks ago the Central Jakarta District Court found Jessica Kemala Wongso guilty of premeditated murder, capping off a four-month trial that turned the case into a media circus.

The woman was convicted despite the dubious evidence of her role in the crime, amid persistent use of conventional and social media to portray her as a mentally unstable person, which therefore built assumptions that she was the perpetrator of the murder.

In a similar display, common sense should have quashed allegations that Ahok had a motive in insulting Islam, hence Muslims, through his statement during a visit to the Thousands Islands, otherwise he would not have had it uploaded onto YouTube.

The blasphemy accusation was indeed debatable, given the split decision reached among the police investigators during a case screening on Tuesday.

If a heavyweight politician like Ahok, whose candidacy is supported by a coalition of the country’s largest political parties, let alone Jessica, could fall prey to the power of a mob that tends to force its will, it is likely that many more citizens could be deprive of their access to justice.

The use of a mob at the expense of the rule of law is a serious threat to democracy as anyone with a certain political agenda could hide behind the masses, or people power as they might say, to reach their goals.

In the case of Ahok, who will contest the Jakarta election in February, the mobilization of angry people is a far easier way to seize power than rely on democratic practices through an election.

After nearly 20 years of reform, the consolidation of democracy remains elusive in the country. Unless the rule of law is upheld, we cannot hope to reach that stage.