Vedro Imanuel Girsang, Eko Ari Wibowo, Jakarta – The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), a research and analysis institution based in London, England, has released the results of research on the democratic state of countries in the world.
In the results of the study, Indonesia's Democratic Perception Index ranking for 2024 dropped three positions to 59th place.
Indonesia only obtained a score of 6.44 for the state of democracy. The figure is obtained through several assessment components such as the election process and pluralism, government functioning, political participation, political culture and civil freedoms.
Specifically, the EIU highlighted the course of electoral democracy in Indonesia in 2024. The main issue highlighted by EIU was the election of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka as president and vice president.
"In Indonesia, the presidential election appointed Prabowo Subianto [as the country's president], a former military general with a controversial past, who received covert support from former President Joko Widodo", wrote the EIU in their research document received by Tempo on Wednesday March 5.
The EIU believes that Jokowi's (as Widodo is known) political manoeuvres in supporting Prabowo's nomination as well as entrusting his son Gibran as vice president raised concerns over the democratic climate in Indonesia. The potential for the centralisation of power and the loss of democratic checks and balances were two issues that were the focus of the EIU's attention.
"Confirming the suspicion that the past president and the one now colluded in order to be mutually beneficial" the EIU reiterated.
According to Tempo's records, Widodo openly gave his blessing to Gibran to become a vice presidential candidate for Prabowo. Despite this, he claimed not have interfered in the election of the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Widodo stated that Gibran's choice as a vice presidential candidate was the authority of the political parties. "Yes, parents have the duty to pray and give their blessing, [but] the decision was all up to him (Gibran)", Widodo said when attending a Santri Day parade in Surabaya, East Java, on Sunday October 22, 2023.
Widodo reenforced signals of his support for Prabowo as the 2024 presidential candidate when attending a United Indonesia Party (Perindo) anniversary event on Monday October 7, 2022. Widodo reminisced about his victory in the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections over Prabowo, but then said that the 2024 presidential election would be Prabowo's turn for victory.
"Sorry, Pak [Mr] Prabowo. It seems that after this, it's Pak Prabowo's turn", Widodo said followed by applause from those present.
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "Indeks Demokrasi Indonesia Turun, Kemenangan Prabowo-Gibran Jadi Sorotan".]
