(Bloomberg) — Recent tumult in Indonesia shows people want their nascent democracy protected, ex-President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said, offering assurances that there will be a smooth transition from outgoing leader Joko Widodo to his successor, Prabowo Subianto.
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“The people are hoping this country, this government, the leaders can really safeguard and uphold our democracy,” Yudhoyono said in an interview in Jakarta, when asked about recent pro-democracy protests across the archipelago.
Last month, massive street demonstrations successfully derailed a perceived power grab by Indonesia’s biggest parties. Legislators gave up attempts to tweak electoral laws to both allow Jokowi’s youngest son to run for office and undercut the ability of smaller parties to field candidates.
The episode showed widespread public anger over democratic backsliding in a country that returned to having free and fair elections in 1999 after decades of dictatorship. There are also concerns about dynastic politics, as Jokowi’s eldest son is already vice president-elect.
“As a young democracy, after Indonesia was hit by the crisis back in 1998, our journey is not over,” said Yudhoyono, referring to the Asian financial crisis that led to the downfall of the late dictator Suharto. “We continue making our democracy more relevant to the hopes and the aspirations of the Indonesian people.”
As president from 2004 to 2014, Yudhoyono stabilized the economy, oversaw the response to the 2004 tsunami, and reached a peace deal in the restive province of Aceh. And despite concerns about his military background, he oversaw a peaceful transition of power to current President Jokowi.
Speaking at the Bloomberg CEO Forum in Jakarta, Yudhoyono said Prabowo, who was elected in February and will be inaugurated in October, will benefit from the long transition period. He compared the situation to his own election, in which he was only confirmed weeks before he formally took office.
“Prabowo has enough time to prepare everything and I know the relationship between Prabowo and Jokowi is good,” Yudhoyono said. He added that Prabowo is well-placed to continue the economic achievements of his predecessor and, now that a lot of infrastructure has been built, the incoming leader can focus on human capital through addressing health, education and environmental issues.
Jokowi has said the legacy of his decade in office includes a reduction in poverty and, despite the pandemic, roughly 5% annual economic growth. Prabowo wants even faster growth of 8%, and has pledged to spend billions of dollars on free meals for children to alleviate poverty and improve education.
“Infrastructure is very important, but building human capital is also important,” Yudhoyono said. “We have to combine those two things in order for our economy to continue grow higher and stronger.”
The former military officer Prabowo, who currently serves as the nation’s defense minister, will be a “foreign policy president” who should be able to deftly manage Indonesia’s positioning amid worsening US-China tensions and disputes in the South China Sea, Yudhoyono said.
“If there is no way out of the South China Sea dispute, Indonesia or Asean can appeal that everybody must go to the negotiating table, respect international law, and avoid military might to solve the problem,” he said, referring to the political and economic Association of Southeast Asian Nations group.
“We are the biggest country in the Asean and we are also a member of the G-20. Indonesia is a regional power and, to a certain degree, a global player,” he said. “We have to have a say on how to deal with the regional problems properly, wisely and correctly.”
–With assistance from Grace Sihombing and Adrian Kennedy.
(Updates with comments on foreign policy from 11th paragraph.)
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