Pause to Reflect

9 July 2004



Indonesia Stretches Islam's Democratic Muscles

There is a crypto-racist view that says Islam is not "ready" for democracy, and that the American adventure in Iraq is doomed to fail because the people there don't understand democracy. The 220 million people of Indonesia, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, put paid to that nonsense (if the Turks hadn't already) with 80% voter turnout in the first round of presidential elections earlier this week. Messy though the voting was, it appeared no worse than Florida in 2000, and indeed, might have been more democratic than that.

Indonesia, shortly after being the Dutch East Indies, was misruled by two dictators, Sukarno and Suharto, for decades. Since 1998, the nation has had an elected president chosen by the national assembly. This week, the country voted directly for the person who will lead. By the looks of things, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (a former general and singer -- well, Mr. Reagan was in films) took first place with around a third of the votes. Incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri finished second at just over a quarter, but she beat out General Wiranto (who also sings it appears, and has some problem as a violator of human rights according to some) for the right to contest the second round since no candidate achieved a majority.

The nation does have a problem with separatism and with Fascislam (the nightclub bombing on Bali is a fine example), but when given a ballot, most Indonesians don't back those ideas. There is unemployment and underemployment that affects 40 million Indonesians, yet economic growth is running in the 4-5% per year range. The nation has several local languages, some ethnic issues, and transportation difficulties like most archipelagoes. Yet, the voting was largely peaceful, apparently fair, and avoided extremism.

The second round will be in September after the first rounds' vote is fully counted and the two top vote-winners rehash their positions. On October 20, there will be a freely elected president of Indonesia. And may Allah the Merciful guide the winner. And may the rest of the Muslim world sit up and take notice.

Corruption persists in Indonesia, and it is far from a wealthy nation. Its people, though, have proved that there is nothing inherently undemocratic about Islam, and nothing inherently unIslamic about democracy. So, one wonders what the next batch of excuses will be.


© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.


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