Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Corrupt behavior in politics and complicated bureaucracy are believed to be the factors keeping benevolent democracy and a sound economy out of Indonesia's reach even after 10 years of reform, experts said in a discussion Friday.

Siti Zuhro from the Center of Political Studies at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences blamed ethical shortcomings of politicians for failure to achieve full democratization and bureaucratic reform.

"Even though the government has committed to the reform of bureaucracy at every level... this has not yet materialized. Corruption, collusion and nepotism still happen everywhere," she said. "This is a matter of politicians' mentality. They're practicing politics and neglecting morality."

Siti, however, acknowledged there had been many changes in the organization of the state since the reform era. Especially important, she said, was the amending of the 1945 Constitution – on four occasions. "There has been considerable change in our country's politics, including in our election mechanisms and development of a multi-party system."

She predicted political diversity – new faces and more independent candidates – because the public was dissatisfied with political parties' perceived failing to represent the aspirations of the people.

"Political parties in the parliament have failed to support the people. And in this decentralization era, when people have put their hopes in the Regional Representatives Council, they (people) are once again disappointed because the council has also failed to show its power."

Siti said political parties should focus more on educating their members in an effort to improve their performance and to better accommodate the people. Economically, the country had yet to achieve independence, said Fadhil Hasan of the Institute for Development of Economy and Finance Indonesia (INDEF).

"Complicated bureaucracy and policies are not on the side of the business community, thus (foreign) investors are reluctant to come here. Indonesia doesn't have a suitable economic strategy, and its policies have not been able to protect national interests from being damaged by foreign ones," he said. He cited a banking sector controlled 60 percent by foreigners.

Energy, finance and food, he said, were the three key sectors whose weakness held back economic progress.

Ismed Hasan Putro, head of the Professional Civil Society, expressed similar views, saying the business climate in the country was not competitive and that illegal levies had led to huge cost inefficiencies that dissuaded investors.