Over 1,000 academics from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), including lecturers and administrative staff, have expressed deep concern about the current state of democracy in Indonesia.
Dr. Arie Sujito, UGM Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Community Service, and Alumni, described this statement as a response to the serious challenges facing Indonesia’s democracy.
“We are deeply concerned about the regression of democracy and the legal system in our country, marked by legal tensions and political manipulation that threaten the constitutional order,” Dr. Sujito stated during an interview on Saturday, Aug. 24.
The overwhelming support from these 1,000 academics reflects their determination to prevent the democracy that students and activists fought for in 1998 from stagnating and reverting to the New Order era, where oligarchic party power and elite political maneuvers served narrow interests.
“We want to restore the integrity of democracy so the interests of the ruling elite do not destroy it,” said Dr. Sujito, a Sociology lecturer in the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences.
The statement from UGM’s lecturers and staff has garnered support from the Forum of Deans across UGM. The forum is concerned about the political maneuvers by a majority in parliament that disregard the Constitutional Court’s rulings on the requirements for the 2024 Regional Head Elections (Pilkada).
“This undermines the political and legal order and the norms of democratic civility,” Dr. Sujito emphasized.
In response to this crisis, UGM’s lecturers and staff issued five key statements:
- Condemnation of Interference: They condemned all forms of interference in the legislative and judicial branches that aimed to manipulate democratic procedures to maintain power.
- Rejection of Power Distortion: They rejected practices that legitimize the distortion of democratic principles and the people’s sovereignty.
- Demand for Fair Elections: They called for dignified and just regional elections that adhere to legal standards.
- Support for the Election Commission (KPU): They urged the KPU to uphold its integrity as the organizer of the regional elections by strictly following legal guidelines, including fully implementing the Constitutional Court’s rulings, specifically Decision No. 60/PUU-XXII/2024 and Decision No. 70/PUU-XXII/2024.
- Call to Action for the Public: Finally, they called on all layers of society to consolidate and actively participate in safeguarding Indonesia’s democracy.
Author: Gusti Grehenson