Share
A boy wearing a traditional costume guards ballot boxes during the presidential election in Trumon, Southern Aceh province in 2019. AFP
‘Democracy vital for Indonesia’s path to prosperity’
Thu, 29 July 2021
Indonesia's current democratic practices, which have taken root in the past 20 years following the demise of the New Order’s authoritarian regime, remain the best hope for the country to be able to have an inclusive and sustainable economic growth, a panel of experts concluded in a discussion held on July 28.
Speaking during a seminar organised to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), economists and political analysts agreed that despite setbacks and shortcomings, in the past 20 years public participation in politics, both through regular elections and the exercise of free speech, has resulted in a government that is more responsive to demands for economic improvement.