We have yet to hear responses from the country’s political elite on signs that post-reform institutions are decaying. Lest they think, “should I care?”
By
KOMPAS EDITOR
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ANTARA/MUHAMMAD ADIMAJA
A worker cleans the logo of the Corruption Eradication Commission at the KPK Building, Jakarta, Monday (5/2/2018).
Institutions that were born out of the reform movement, such as the Constitutional Court (MK), the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), need to be evaluated. This headlined the Kompas daily on Monday, 27 March 2023.
The Kompas daily wrote that according to a longitudinal survey conducted between 2015-2023, public perception of these institutions have been on the decline. The image of the KPK, for one, peaked in January 2015 at 88.5 percent and had fallen to 52.1 percent. The court, which was a powerful institution during the reform era, once reached 75.1 percent, but now sits at 57.5 percent. Moreover, the image of the DPD peaked at 62.1 percent in January 2015 and now remains at 52 percent.
Not only have post-reform institutions lost their way, but so have political parties and the House of Representatives.
We have yet to hear responses from the country’s political elite on signs that post-reform institutions are decaying. Lest they think, “should I care?”
Discussions among the elite rarely touch issues of the state, such as weakened institutional arrangements, rampant corruption and increased poverty. The behaviors of the elite only demonstrate how politics is taken as a commander, how to seize and maintain power and how to build alliances to do so.
AYU OCTAVI ANJANI
The trial for judicial review of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections with the agenda of hearing statements from related parties at the Constitutional Court (MK) building, Central Jakarta, Thursday (16/3/2023).
Institutions that were born out of student reform struggles are now decaying, which is to say that although these institutions still exist, as it is based on the Constitution, its benefits are not felt. They seem to exist as ornaments of democracy. Its benefits are minimal and only become a proxy for political power. In borrowing the words of former Constitutional Court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie, these post-reform institutions tend to be extractive as opposed to effective. Extractive in the way that it utilizes resources for personal gain.
DPD institutions that are directly elected from constituents in the province are not heard. It is rare to hear the voices of lawmakers from the regions fighting for regional aspirations. Regional lawmakers do not even hear about the ecological devastation due to mining across many areas. It is only natural that netizens and the media have taken over the role of conveying public aspirations.
Institutional development relies on the 4M: man, momentum, media and money. Man, namely a leader, greatly determines the credibility and dignity of an institution. Maintaining institutional momentum is also important. When an institution lacks political initiatives, it will begin to decay. Media support and money play a role as well, but the leader’s actions have more definitive impacts.
Political parties and the behaviors of the political elite who take politics as a commander all contribute to the decay of post-reform institutions. Everything suffers as a consequence of political desire. The decay of these institutions go hand in hand with the diminishing role of civil society.
Presidential candidates for the upcoming 2024 election will have a lot of work to do regarding these institutional arrangements. Whoever they may be.
