Political Hopes in 2021
What kinds of aspirations can we ignite in our hearts and minds toward the year 2021?
What kinds of aspirations can we ignite in our hearts and minds toward the year 2021? What kinds of development and improvements in the political field do we have to make so that the life of the nation and state in 2021 will be better than that in 2020?
If history is continuity and change, this time, with some bitterness, the journey may not promise much improvement. Many indicators throughout 2020 suggest there will be more continuity so that 2021 may not have many major changes.
History is not just the disclosure of events in the past, but also a guide to a better future. For that, there are many agendas that can and must be done.
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In many ways, 2020 is Annus horribilis, a terrible year. It is because of the Covid-19 outbreak, which has devastated lives from a health aspect; economy, socio-culture, religion and politics. The world is heading for 80 million cases of Covid-19 infection and two million deaths. Indonesia, with nearly 700,000 cases and more than 20,000 deaths, is the fourth- most affected country by the Covid-19 pandemic in Asia after India, Turkey and Iran. Problems caused by the pandemic in several areas in Indonesia have been quite severe.
Can 2021 be Annus mirabilis, a bright year to bring happiness, for Indonesia amid the still rampant Covid-19? Obviously it is difficult though not impossible.
Although 2021 is not yet a happy year, a journey in that direction is worth taking. For this reason, public officials and national and local political elites need to take serious steps.
Entering the second year of his second term of office, the public doubts whether President Jokowi can leave a great legacy if the cabinet\'s performance is not optimal.
First, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo must consolidate his government. Without improving the performance of the Cabinet, public hopes could weaken even more. Entering the second year of his second term of office, the public doubts whether President Jokowi can leave a great legacy if the cabinet\'s performance is not optimal.
Long before Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Edhy Prabowo and Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara were arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), there had been many calls from various parties for the President to reshuffle the Cabinet. President Jokowi did not budge. After months, a Cabinet reshuffle was finally announced with the appointment of six new ministers. This Cabinet rejuvenation needs to be respected, even though it is still not enough. The reshuffle should be more comprehensive.
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The new ministers are promising. However, there are still a number of (old) ministers who should be reshuffled because of their unsatisfactory performance. Therefore, it is still a question mark whether this rejuvenated cabinet can create momentum for the consolidation of President Jokowi and Vice President Ma\'ruf Amin\'s government to improve their performance.
The government also needs to take steps with the House of Representatives (DPR) to re-consolidate democracy. This step is urgent because Indonesia\'s democracy in recent years has declined from "full democracy" to "flawed democracy". The government needs to restore civil liberties.
The restrictions on civil liberties must be removed; if there are citizens who abuse civil liberties, legal steps can be taken without castrating civil liberties by using various "rubber" laws and provisions. The government also needs to restore civil society as one of the main pillars of democracy. The government should stop political praxis that neglects civil society.
If Indonesia\'s hope for 2021 is Annus mirabilis, the government should abandon the political praxis of collusion with the DPR. The government and the DPR need to no longer pass the bill without listening to the aspirations of the public and civil society, as happened in the amendments to the KPK Law, the Mining Law, and the Job Creation Law.
In 2021, Indonesia needs rejuvenation and re-strengthening of social cohesion. Openly or below the surface, friction between residents has tended to increase in recent years. This situation is not conducive to the maintenance of socio-political cohesion and national integration.
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On the one hand, social cohesion has emerged among residents during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many community members and mass organizations raise philanthropic funds to help affected residents. Assistances are in the forms of personal protection, medicines, basic necessities, as well as gadgets and phone credit for distance learning. This actualization of social cohesion remains strong.
However, the socio-political cohesion has been greatly disturbed by the increase in commotion in the community due to the spread of hoaxes, slander, provocation, defamation, and fighting against each other.
This can be seen in the case of the rise in commotions and violence between certain Islamic mass organizations and the police.
Although the public appears calm, there are many sub-surface turmoil that threatens social cohesion. The latent turmoil can appear at any time. This can be seen in the case of the rise in commotions and violence between certain Islamic mass organizations and the police.
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The rise in protests against the arrest of their leaders by police occurred in the Greater Jakarta and had spread to several smaller cities.
This latest incident has also increased sentiment related to political and legal "injustice" that has remained in the souls of some citizens. Perceptions of a sharp "knife of justice" on certain parties but blunt on others continue to damage the socio-political cohesion.
Therefore, the hope of Indonesia in 2021 and beyond is also the enforcement of justice. Society and experts, when it comes to justice, usually concerns legal justice and economic justice. If justice in these two fields is not seriously sought by the government, the impact will be the fragility of the latent socio-political cohesion which tore national integration.
Our hope for Indonesia in 2021 is Annus mirabilis, despite facing many challenges and it is not impossible to realize it. If the aforementioned challenges can be answered with genuine political will and work hard, this hope can be realized, even party.
AZYUMARDI AZRA, History professor, Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta; Member of the Cultural Commission of the Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI)