The survey helps explain why revelations of hefty lawmaker housing allowances in late August triggered massive violent demonstrations
[JAKARTA] A survey conducted shortly before Indonesia saw massive protests over lawmakers’ perks found a majority of people want an opposition presence in parliament, underscoring public unease about the dominance of President Prabowo Subianto’s coalition.
An Aug 11-14 Kompas survey released on Monday found that 58.4 per cent of respondents want at least one party to counterbalance the government in the legislature, where Prabowo’s allies hold about 81 per cent of the seats. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, or PDI-P, holds the other seats but has declared it is not an opposition, even as it remains outside the administration.
The survey helps explain why revelations of hefty lawmaker housing allowances in late August triggered massive violent demonstrations, with parliamentary buildings attacked and at least 10 people killed. The Prabowo administration, which has since agreed to scrap the controversial perks, has the largest majority since Indonesia returned to democracy after the fall of the late dictator Suharto, raising concerns about a weakening of checks and balances.
The survey, which polled more than 500 respondents across 38 provinces with a margin of error of 4.2 per cent, highlighted disappointment with political parties, with 56 per cent of respondents saying they fail to represent their aspirations due to corruption, broken promises, and poor public engagement. The poll also found differences between supporters of different parties in the ruling coalition.
Backers of Prabowo’s own Gerindra party and those from Suharto’s Golkar favour bringing PDI-P into the bloc. Supporters of other parties see the role of PDI-P, which acted as the opposition under Suharto and former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, as critical for holding the government accountable.
However, PDI-P Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri said in an early August speech that the party was not the opposition. Days after her remarks, a close aide who had been jailed was among several people granted amnesty by Prabowo.
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At least 228 protests have taken place across 35 provinces since Aug 28, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs, though the weekend was relatively quiet.
On top of losing the controversial allowances, House Deputy Speaker Sufmi Dasco Ahmad on Friday said lawmakers would face additional cuts after a review of electricity, communications, and transport costs.
And in a closed-door meeting with local media, Prabowo said he was paying attention to demands circulating widely on social media, calling some reasonable and describing others as open to debate, Kompas and others local media reported.
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But he repeated concerns that the protests have been excessive, accusing some people of trying to provoke anger and pit the public against the government. He also defended the presence of soldiers on city streets, citing threats of arson and terrorism, while stressing that democracy is a constitutional right.
The former general vowed to enforce the law fairly, noting that some officers have been prosecuted or even dismissed. He also signalled openness to forming an independent investigative team, the media said. BLOOMBERG
