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RI's Transition No Model for Egypt

(published by The Jakarta Post on 18 Feb 2011. Click here)


After the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, Egyptians need to realize that the path to democracy that they have dreamed about for so long is still a long journey. If they are expecting democracy immediately after successfully toppling their president, who was in power for 30 years, they will very soon be disappointed.

Mubarak is gone. The people are joyous and euphoric after their victory, but beware! That was just one day. There are hundreds and even thousands of days in the future. Egyptians should move forward but there is no toll road to a democratic destiny. We know that exchanging authoritarian rule with democratic rule is about dealing with chronic illness, and it is painful and everyone needs to understand this.

All the media in the world had headlines about Mubarak’s resignation, underlining the word “freedom”. On Feb. 11, after Vice President Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had decided to step down, the media reported Egyptians of all ages jamming the banks of the Nile and the squares of Cairo waving flags, lighting fireworks and shouting “freedom”.

Is that freedom from Hosni Mubarak, or freedom from what?


We, Indonesians, have experienced our country’s transition to democracy. We have had a taste of freedom (from Suharto’s authoritarian rule), but, after more than twelve years, the question remains: “Is democracy in our country true freedom and prosperity for the people?” This is only one question. We still have plenty of questions about whether we have true freedom in the context of religion, human rights, minority protection, law enforcement, bribery, corruption, poverty etc.

Many political analysts compare what’s happening in Egypt with what happened in Indonesia in 1998. Even in the United States the Obama administration used Indonesia as a model for Egypt’s transition. President Obama in a speech on Friday, Feb. 11, compared Egypt’s revolution to Indonesia’s. This is logical because the two countries were very similar in the process of regime substitution.

But, the world should not stop with the revolution and transition similarities. The world should also notice that Indonesia’s journey to democracy has almost failed because democracy in Indonesia has gone too far. Democracy in Indonesia has veered from idealism and, unfortunately, has resulted in a weak government. This weak government has dragged Indonesia into its leadership crisis today.

Several cases, from the Gayus saga to the Ahmadiyah attack in Pandeglang, Banten, to the vandalism of churches in Temanggung, Central Java, recently have shown us that this country is run without strong leadership. Is this democracy? A democracy where people can persecute others freely and the government seems too afraid to take stern action against organized attackers?

erhaps the Egyptians have learned from Indonesia in fighting against dictatorship, but they should also learn how to guard the process of a democratic transition, including how to form not only a democratic government but a strong government. Otherwise, they will follow Indonesia and become a failing nation.

***
Serpong, Feb 13, 2011
Titus J.
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