Bandung – Political analyst from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), J. Kristiadi, says that the national political situation following the 2004 elections will not produce in any changes to the quality of the country.

This is because there is still a prevalence of oligarchical politics in the formulation of the laws on the general elections and the election of the president. Oligarchical politics are reflected in the political compromises made by the opportunist among the political elite.

Kristiadi raised this issue in a seminar on the theme of "Intellectual and Democratic Crisis in Indonesia" in Bandung, West Java on Thursday. The seminar also presented philosophical experts Franz Magnis-Suseno, Hilmar Farid, and Deliar Noer.

According to Kristiadi, the compromises by the political elite tend to be made in order to safeguard the interests of the political parties. "These kinds of laws will only produce a new political elite which will not care about, let alone side with the concerns and interests of the majority of people", he said.

He explained that the process of political transformation from authoritarianism to democracy has fallen into the pitfall of becoming an oligarchical system both in the political parties as well as institutions such as parliament.

[The view that] there will be no change in the national political order after the 2004 elections was also taken up by Franz Magnis-Suseno. The reason, because the political parties are not yet independent. This is indicated by the large number of disputes within political parties and the lack of clarity in their programs. (b05)

[Translated by James Balowski.]