We need to maintain independence and prevent the authority and capacity of the anticorruption commission and law enforcement institutions from being weakened.
By
Rizal Sukma
·4 minutes read
SALOMO TOBING
Rizal Sukma
One of the things most expected of democracy is the creation of conditions that require the country (read: the authorities) to create the same opportunity for all citizens to have better lives. For this reason, democracy is expected to not only guarantee freedom, safety, and human rights, but also produce prosperity and justice for all. Even these last two conditions, welfare and justice, are often most wanted by people who live in a democratic system.
However, when what is expected from democracy does not arrive or is deemed not as perfect as expected, there are parties that easily place the blame on democracy. Various narratives, as I said in the previous political analysis (Kompas, 16 Feb. 2023), are made to put democracy in a corner, even blatantly praising an autocratic political system, which is considered better.
Many forget that the capacity of democracy to encourage economic growth and create welfare is basically determined by the practitioners of democracy. Our democracy, for example, has become disabled because of the increasing number of parasites hampering economic growth. Just look at a number of corruption cases lately that involve officials, politicians and the elites of this country, which confuses our feelings as citizens. We are annoyed, irritated, sad, and angry by the various corruption cases that have hit this country and seem to be endless.
This condition was recognized openly by Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud M.D., who said that corruption now occurred everywhere in Indonesia, in almost all sectors (Kompas, 25 March 2023).
Corruption is one of the main parasites that continue to hamper and damage the capacity of democracy to produce positive development achievements. Therefore, we must not be discouraged and mistakenly draw the conclusion that democracy is the cause of slow economic progress.
Even though the causality between the types of regime (democracy and autocracy) and economic growth continues to be a topic of debate, for countries where corruption is massive, the democratic system provides better opportunities for economic progress. There are at least three reasons for that.
First, the democratic system allows for opening a way to eradicate corruption. For example, one of the important steps Indonesia took after the fall of the New Order regime is forming the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Apart from the recent controversy, the exposure of various corruption cases in Indonesia cannot be separated from the role of the KPK.
Second, democracy allows the public, especially the media and civil society organizations, to reveal corruption cases. In a democracy, which guarantees press freedom and information disclosure, it is difficult to hide corruption cases as in an authoritarian system. Even the use of social media makes it easier and strengthens the public’s role in uncovering corruption. Unlike an authoritarian state, a democratic state cannot silence or prohibit its people from expressing their opinions freely and openly.
Third, only in a democratic system can elections be carried out based on fair and free principles. People are free to use their votes to place someone in certain political positions, both at the regional and central levels. The people, at least theoretically, can punish politicians, political parties, and governments that are considered corrupt through the elections by not voting for them again.
The question now is: Why does democracy in Indonesia seem to be cultivating instead of eradicating corruption? Why, after 25 years of democracy, have we still been unable to eradicate corrupt behavior and corruption? Various studies show that the difficulty in eradicating corruption in post-authoritarian countries is caused by an unconsolidated democratic system.
Therefore, strengthening democracy is an important agenda for eradicating corruption. We need to maintain independence and prevent the authority and capacity of the anticorruption commission and law enforcement institutions from being weakened. If we want to maintain the public space for freedom to fight corruption, it is necessary to fight against the voices that support the narrative of authoritarianism.
This counter-authoritarianism narrative needs to focus on the importance of guaranteeing press freedom, strengthening civil society organizations, and maintaining the integrity of the general elections.
RIZAL SUKMA, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)
