Have we prepare for every possibilty that might happens after choosing democracy as our political system? After almost 14 years, what have been change? Yes, we have through several Election. But have election find its substance? Or it is just the process that we have to do as procedure, as formality? In fact, three times election after 1998 it is still hard to believe that elected Government could create better situation. Government find themselves as a ‘ruler’ not as ‘service provider’. They asking for our loyalty, but didn’t even feel guilty if they failed to serve people need.
We have lost our youngest province, East Timor, as the result that we gave them freedom to choose, to find out what would be the best for them. And, now Papua strive for the same right. It is emerged because our democracy are lack of distribution ability. Papua, is the clear description of what Terryl Lyn Karl said as paradox of plenty; its land rich and plenteous with natural resource, but the people there, remains poor.
....................
Theories of Democracy have changed over time. It has traced the development of the idea of democracy from direct self-government, through the emergence of the liberal project and the struggles between competing models of democracy in the twentieth century. However, as democratization got under way, it gradually became evident that while some new democracies would succeed in establishing free, fair elections and creating new institutions for government which have gradually allowed for the development of a democratic polity, others have ended in the failure.
As a result, democratization studies began to embrace more complex. If more fuzzy, notions of what actually constitutes democracy (Collier and Levitsky 1997). In any system which claims to be democratic, a question of its legitimacy remains. A truly democratic political system has certain characteristics which prove its legitimacy with their existence. One essential characteristic of a legitimate democracy is that it allows people to freely make choices without government intervention. Another necessary characteristic which legitimates government is that everyvote must count equally: one vote for one person. For this equalityto occur, all people must be subject to the same laws, have equalcivil rights, and be allowed to freely express their ideas.
Juan Linz mentioned five pre-condition which engaged strongly for the consolidation of Democracy; (1) Condition that it may for developing freedom of civil society (2) Existence of autonomous political society (3) Obedience by the rule of law, from main political actor, especially state apparatus (4) Existence of usable bureaucracy, and (5) Existence of institutional economic society. Related with the election process, Linz put Election and its rule into political society concept. Linz also mentioned that basically, the power of Civil Society was able to destroy the Non-Democratic Regime. Democracy consolidation requires increasing of political participation for the main institution within democratic society. The institution was; Political Party, Legislative, Election and its rule,Politicalleadership, and Party alliance.
Amartya Sen (199) also argued that the preference to choose democratic system, at least create more opportunities for better quality of life of the society. Sen’s reason was related with election process. Sen thought that Democracy, especially Election, provide opportunity for the “unsatisfied” people to give their “punishment” for the regime which is failed to bring better condition for their people.
....................
Have Indonesia through its pre condition? And what was the result? building Democracy with such no pre-condition can emerge several crises. First,Social Crisis. This crisis could erode the foundations of the democratic system. The conditions most contributing to a democratic future for a given country include democracy itself, prosperity, and growth with moderate inflation, declining income inequality, a favorable international climate, and parliamentary institutions rather than dictatorial or autocratic ones.
Countries that have had several years of economic recession, in which the living standards of the majority have decreased, income inequality has increased; and authority has shifted to one person without check and balances, there is a profound need and disillusionment grows in a majority of the population.
Second, Political Crisis. It is also cause of the lack or decline democracy of democracy worldwide. This includes three important elements. The first element is a popular apathy and passivity and the absence of options other than the traditional ones. The second is the elite pacts, and the demagoguery of the leaders of individual nations.
The third set of elements includes a fear of uncertainty and the restrictive effect of the new international and regional climate. The result is the dissociation and marginalization of individuals from society because the people are not generates political apathy and prompted a critical distancing of the public from democratic institutions and processes.
....................
‘The Answer is in the process’ said Benjamin Franklin. But for how long? Should we set back to the era when economy become our priority, and put politics down the flank? Or maybe we take China as role model; open market policy with tight control of freedom and people right? Several democratic country in Europe now find themselves in a hard resession and, just like Stiglitiz said, democracy couldn’t offer anything as a solution.
“.....Demokrasi bisa tertindas sementara
karena kesalahannya sendiri.
Tetapi setelah mengalami cobaan yang pahit,
ia akan muncul kembali dengan keinsafannya...”
(Muhammad Hatta, Demokrasi Kita)
