Indonesian Democracy Comes When the Kingdom System Has Strong Roots: Serious Problems Leading to Simultaneous National Elections in 2024

Abstract

The study of finding the right posture for Indonesian democracy has never been completed. The reason is that the history of democracy as understood in Europe and America does not have deep roots in Indonesia since long ago. Moreover, compared to 55 years since independence, Indonesia’s democracy has actually made great leaps and bounds since the start of reforms in 1998, compared to Suharto’s authoritarian (New Order) rule from 1966 to 21 May 1998, and during Soekarno’s reign from the country’s independence. from 1945 to 1966. A year after the fall of Suharto on 21 May 1998, Indonesia held its first democratic elections on 7 June 1999. The elections were participated by 48 political parties.
In 2004, Indonesia held its first direct presidential election. A year later, Indonesia held its first regional head elections, in which voters directly elected governors, regents, and mayors. Thus, the elections continued until the last December 9, 2020 until they got their form later in the national Simultaneous General Election in 2024 later. The question is, is the current practice of democracy in accordance with all democratic values as intended by the Pancasila ideology as the basic foundation for Indonesia in all political actions?
Pancasila as the state ideology of Indonesia contains five principles, namely: 1). The belief in one God, 2). Just and civilized humanity, 3). Indonesian unity, 4. Democracy under the wise guidance of representative consultation, 5). Social justice for all peoples of Indonesia. The founding fathers formulated an understanding of democracy based on the traditional practices of democracy at the grassroots level that have been going on for centuries throughout the country. But what is happening now, Indonesia is only imitating the posture of Western/European democracy.
In the experience of Indonesian democracy, the figure of Indonesian democracy from 1945 to 2021 is quite fragile because the democratic tradition did not develop on Indonesian soil, democracy has its roots, developed in Europe and has been accepted in Indonesia since November 1945, because democracy highly respects human dignity and is a type of government that right in the modern country.