Jakarta – Ahead of the 2024 Presidential and Legislative Elections, there are a number of challenges to the process of maturing democracy in Indonesia. In the midst of increasingly high political dynamics, Indonesia needs to maintain Pancasila as the nation’s ideology.
“After the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic is over, the threat of intolerance, radicalism and terrorism (IRT) is also very dangerous. There have been many findings indicating that several institutions and communities are exposed to this threat,” said member of the Presidential Advisory Council (Wantimpres) Sidarto Danusubroto, who was also President Soekarno’s last aide (1967-1968), as a keynote speaker in an FGD held by the Moya Institute entitled “Pancasila: Dynamics and Challenges Faced?” at the Gran Melia Hotel, Jakarta, Thursday (25/5/2023).
Sidarto revealed that Indonesian politics really needs to re-implement Pancasila values to create a healthy political system.
“We are not ready to face Western democracy. Now our democracy is NPWP: Number Piro Wani Piro. I have been a member of the Republic of Indonesia DPR for three terms. When the system closed, I was easily selected. When the system was opened, people here started to fight with money. Start shaking,” he said.
“People are educated to wait for the “dawn or dawn attack” to get money. This is not very educational for the maturation of democracy, so it must be deleted,” he continued.
Sidarto is of the opinion that a closed proportional system makes it possible to create a more just democracy, so that only the President and the DPR RI should be directly elected.
“The regional head chooses or appoints the President. The regent too. The three winning political parties will later be allocated seats there.” he said.
“If they are elected directly, what will happen like now, for example the position of governor could require hundreds of billions of funds, regents tens of billions, whose funds are supported by bohirs and financiers. Development is also supported by the financiers, so the quality can be questioned,” he continued.
On the other hand, the reform politician who is also the Secretary General of the Gelora Party Mahfudz Sidiq said the long journey of Pancasila ideology guarding the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia for 78 years has produced extraordinary achievements.
“When in 1945 we were just born as a nation state, with a heterogeneous and pluralistic society that has survived to this day as an advanced and modern nation state. It is our duty to make adjustments, along with the developments and conditions of the times where democracy is compatible with the basis of our country, namely Pancasila,” said Mahfudz.
Chairman of the State Civil Apparatus Commission (KASN) Agus Pramusinto revealed that there were many challenges faced by Pancasila in the dynamics of Indonesian politics. Division due to differences in political choices is also something that must be faced.
Agus also said, in the process of administering government, KASN maintains the application of the merit system principle and oversees the implementation of ASN’s basic values, code of ethics and code of conduct. This is at the same time to ensure that the ideology of Pancasila and nationalism, as well as the function of ASN as a unifying glue for the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, are still carried out by all ASNs in Indonesia.
“The key is prevention and always reminding ASN to look again at their main duties and competencies as servants of the state.” Agus said.
Observer of national and global strategic issues Prof. Ambassador Imron Cotan said, Indonesia will always have political developments. For this reason, according to him, Indonesia must prepare for every development and maintain Pancasila as the ideology of the nation and state.
“If the nation fails to maintain its flexibility and continues to be battered and hit at any time by divisive politics, the existence of Pancasila can be threatened and Indonesia has the potential to become a failed state,” he said.
