Current Political Situation

The 2001 government transition from Abdurrahman Wahid to Megawati Sukarnoputri initiated a movement towards the consolidation of democracy in Indonesia. Constitutional reform provided for the direct election of the president and vice president and reorganized the legislative branch. The restructuring of the legislative branch created an upper house, the Regional Representative Council (DPD), which along with the lower house (DPR), forms a bicameral legislature known jointly as the new People's Consultative Assembly (MPR). The MPR existed previously but now has reduced authority as a result of the reforms. The legislative and first-ever direct presidential elections held in 2004 were both a challenge and a success, with more than 120 million people participating in the national, provincial, and district elections.

Begun in 2004, many have hailed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's presidency as a success. He is credited with tackling corruption, implementing necessary but sometimes unpopular economic reforms, and ending one of Indonesia's longest and most violent conflicts in Aceh. The peace accord signed by the Government of Indonesia (GoI) and rebels from the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in 2005 ceased the violence and both sides seem committed to peace. Implementation of the agreement and the law on governance has moved forward and a new governor was elected in December of 2006.

While the executive branch remains popular with the public, the public's perception of the legislative branch is persistently negative. The Regional Representative Council (DPD) has not yet defined its role and some regard the National Legislature (DPR) as ineffective.

Since 2005, the Institute has been assisting local civic groups conduct independent observation of Indonesia's local elections at the district and provincial levels using accurate and contextual methods such as Quick Counts, Voter Attitude Surveys and Voter Registration Audits (VRA). For the 2006 Aceh gubernatorial, mayoral, and regency elections, NDI assisted local groups prepare to conduct a VRA, a systematic and timely evaluation of the quality of the voters list, and a Quick Count, a statistical sample that accurately and quickly projects election results. NDI is providing training, workshops and technical assistance in these efforts. More information on NDI's observation programs is available at www.jurdil.org.

NDI continues to support reform efforts within Indonesia's major political parties. In response to issues parties face - such as training of activists and members, direct election campaigns, policy development, leadership selection, analysis of voter attitudes and political party development and reform - NDI continues to provide comparative global expert advice, information, and skills-building training to party leaders and instructors at national, provincial, and local levels. A recent example is an Asian follow-on conference to NDI's global gathering, the Congress of Democrats in the Islamic World. Held in Jakarta in late 2005, this gathering of party practitioners from the region focused directly on issues of political parties and Islam.

NDI is working with DPR leaders, members, and party bloc leaders, to improve constituency outreach efforts. Emphasis is placed on media relations and public speaking to underline the need to incorporate citizen input in the policy process. Particular attention is paid to women's issues in all aspects of the program, including strategies that specifically include women constituents in outreach efforts. NDI is also helping to enhance the skills of DPR professional staff. Issues addressed include staffing and support services for members; the role of a legislative opposition; standing orders; and legislative independence vis-à-vis the executive branch.

Decentralization has greatly increased the role of local authorities in policymaking and resource allocation. Provincial and district DPRD party blocs and members face challenges determining the needs of their constituents, translating constituents' concerns into legislative proposals and building relationships with other party blocs and the executive branch to achieve policy goals. NDI works with legislative associations and political parties on the role of political parties in legislative governance; advocacy group and media interaction; and coalition-building and inter-party relations in the DPRDs. These initiatives help to enhance the local capacity of legislators to function within the legislative process and address constituent problems.

NDI is supporting the Regional Representative Assembly (DPD) members' initiative to establish better relations with their constituents through the "Rumah Aspirasi" or House of Aspirations (HoA) pilot program. Regional HoAs collect, sort, and interpret constituents' aspirations and synthesize this information into issue papers to help DPD representatives make informed policy recommendations at the national level based on public demands and regional needs. Through this one-year program, the Institute supports the DPD with technical assistance on facilitating this direct interaction with their constituents, and developing linkages between the DPD and its stakeholders.

Since its inception, NDI has partnered with the Kaukus Perempuan Politik Indonesia (KPPI) and other organizations of politically-minded women to advance the goals of increased women's leadership both inside political parties and in elected public office. NDI provides on-going technical assistance to KPPI to broaden its membership base, fundraise for women candidates, expand its networks of branches, strengthen its capacity to train candidates, and sharpen its advocacy for structural changes to women's political leadership in Indonesia. NDI awarded KPPI its first Madeleine K. Albright award in May 2005 in recognition of its work to promote structural change for women in politics.

The Institute is working with Indonesian organizations to promote citizen participation in the budget planning, allocation and oversight process of public services, such as health and education that can contribute to the reduction of poverty. The Participatory Budgeting and Expenditure Tracking (PBET) Program provides citizens and local civic groups with a clear understanding of the budgetary cycle; methods for monitoring the quality of public services; and avenues to provide input into the planning and allocation of the budget. The program trains groups in advocacy techniques and strategies that promote poverty reduction policies and it supports public consultation on the budget formulation process.

For the fifth consecutive year, NDI has conducted an NGO Management Certificate training program in cooperation with the Center for Global Civil Society Studies (PACIVIS) at the University of Indonesia. Held twice a year, this introductory course for mid-level NGO managers provides the basic tools for creating independent, effective, sustainable and constituency-supported civil society organizations.

Past NDI Programs

NDI has been working in Indonesia since early 1996 when the Institute began assisting the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (Komite Independent Pemantau Pemilu, KIPP), the country's first formal independent election monitoring organization, in its efforts to monitor the May 1997 parliamentary elections. After the fall of President Soeharto in 1998, NDI engaged with political parties and domestic election monitoring organizations in preparation for the June 1999 elections. NDI and the Carter Center organized a joint delegation of 100 observers to the June elections. Since then, NDI has conducted extensive programs involving political parties, legislators and civil society organizations to assist in the country's democratic consolidation.

Aceh

The successful 2006 elections in Aceh, an area which had undergone 30 years of fighting and bloodshed, stood as an affirmation of the Indonesian and Acehnese commitment to peace. NDI's program in Aceh centered on supporting peaceful, transparent, and accountable local elections through an independent voter registration audit (VRA). The program trained local, nonpartisan staff to use two complimentary techniques to check the accuracy of the voter registration list. The program verified that eligible voters were on the registered voter roll, while simultaneously verifying that those on the list were indeed eligible voters. Voter registration seminars and instructional manuals were also used to enhance public confidence. The elections were internationally recognized as free and fair.

Funding

• United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
• National Endowment for Democracy (NED)
• Citigroup Foundation
• The World Bank
• The United Nations Development Program (UNDP)
• The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID)
• The Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Canada DFAIT)
• The Liz Claiborne Foundation

Contact Information