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Indonesia expresses hope that democracy will thrive
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A TransJakarta bus station on Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta burns on Oct. 8. It was set alight during protests in opposition to the controversial Job Creation Law. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
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n the midst of what has been called a global “democratic recession” exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak, Indonesia has expressed hope that democracy will continue to thrive in a post-pandemic world at the opening of a global forum in Bali.
The 13th Bali Democracy Forum was held in Nusa Dua, Bali, with 44 delegates from 26 countries and three international organizations, as well as some 500 additional delegates from 69 countries attending virtually.
Organizers prepared a part-online, part-offline format for the discussions.
Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi opened Thursday’s event, which invited governments and international organizations to candidly share how democracy was practiced in their respective countries.
Not only was COVID-19 a threat to public health and the economy, Retno said in her remarks, it was also a test of democracy and democratic values.
“In the past few years, surveys and studies have shown that democracy is in ‘recession’ […] Today’s pandemic could create even more challenges,” she said.
The global average of the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) annual democracy index is at its lowest point since 2006, and Freedom House noted in a 2020 report that democracy had been in decline for the last 14 years.
