In a vibrant democracy, politics is critical to ensuring the interest of the people is not only met but enhanced through an electoral system. Citizens of a country vote their representatives into the government and the legislature in the hope that those elected will carry out their will.

Politics, therefore, must deliver a better life for the people as an important ingredient of democracy. Indonesia has received widespread international praise for the manner in which the country moved from authoritarian rule to a vibrant democracy in which both central and regional leaders are directly elected.

However, elected officials have failed to deliver on the promise of democracy, if a survey conducted by research company Indo Barometer is to be believed. The survey found that more than 40 percent of the 1,200 people surveyed thought their lives were better under the authoritarian rule of former President Suharto than under the current democratic government, while 22.8 percent believed otherwise.

If the survey is truly reflective of the general public mood, it should act as a wake-up call to those in government. Most respondents also believed that politics, the economy, security and social welfare were better during Suharto's time, but cthey onceded that the legal sector had improved since his downfall in 1998

The message is crystal clear. Strong economic growth of the past few years has not trickled down or translated into higher purchasing power, although domestic consumption has grown significantly. One reason for the generally pessimistic outlook could be relatively high unemployment and the growing income gap between the super rich and the rest of society.

The sharp rise in the cost of living, especially for the lower-income groups, could also have contributed to the surprise finding of the survey. Inflation, especially the high costs of food, education and health care, has posed a major challenge for the government.

Whatever the factors or reasons, the survey is indicative of the fact that the current political leadership in the country is not delivering on the promise of democracy. Every democratic nation will experience some ups and downs, but a longing for a return to authoritarian rule is a worrying sign.