Pinning Our Hopes on the Old Guard

KOMPAS/WAWAN H PRABOWO

Officials of the General Elections Commission (KPU) examine provisional lists of candidates for members of the House of Representatives at the KPU office in Jakarta on Wednesday (19/9/2018). The fixed lists of the candidates for the House, provincial and city legislative councils and regional representatives councils, and the presidential and vice-presidential candidates were announced on Thursday (20/9).

A series of Kompas polls shows that a majority of respondents have significant doubts about the 2014-2019 House of Representatives. The current House members are seen as not much of an improvement on those in previous periods.

A Kompas poll, the result of which was published in this daily on April 14, 2014, showed that 68 percent of respondents doubted the ability of newly elected House members to reject bribes or corruption. After they were inaugurated on Dec. 22, 2014, this daily reported that only 21.7 percent of respondents had a good image of House members.

As the years have gone by, there has been no improvement. Negative public perception persists as the House has not been able to perform effectively, especially in lawmaking. Furthermore, 11 members of the 2014-2019 House, including former speaker Setya Novanto, have been arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

As sitting House members near the end of their term, public trust in them is as low as ever. A 2015 poll showed that 82.6 percent of respondents were dissatisfied with lawmakers’ work in taking aboard and fighting for the people’s aspirations. Furthermore, 84.4 percent of respondents were also dissatisfied with political parties’ work in this regard. Things improved slightly this year, with 35.7 percent of respondents saying that the House had a good image and 80.8 percent of respondents saying that the House was too slow in deliberating legislation (Kompas, 3/9/2018).

In a poll last year, 99.1 percent of respondents wished to have corruption-free legislative candidates. The General Elections Commission (KPU) agreed with this, but a KPU regulation supporting this was later rejected by the Supreme Court (MA). As a result, former convicts in corruption, drug-related crimes and sexual crimes against minors can still contest legislative elections.

In various discussions observed by the media, it has been seen that the public want better lawmakers in the 2019 election. However, it seems that this will remain a pipe dream. Referring to the KPU’s legislative candidates list reviewed by Kompas R&D (Litbang Kompas), 529 sitting House members (94 percent) are seeking reelection next year. This is a higher percentage than that in 2014.

The number of incumbent lawmakers successfully securing reelection has been a rising trend in the post-1998 Reform era. After the 2014 election, 40.2 percent of lawmakers were reelected incumbents. Compare this to the 19.9 percent reelected incumbents after the 1999 election.

Based on an assessment of legislative candidate profiles for next year’s election, it will be difficult to gain a better legislature compared to the one in 2014-2019. Candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the regional legislative councils (DPRDs) are mostly the same old, same old. However, like people in general, there is the chance that legislators may actually perform better if given another chance.

Comme un homme politique ne croit jamais ce qu’il dit, il est tout étonné quand il est cru sur parole (Since a politician never believes what he says, he is surprised when others believe him), so said French statesman Charles de Gaulle (1890-1970). Voters’ maturity will determine the quality and future of the country’s legislature.