The old guard in Indonesia may have lost the fight for the presidency, but it remains determined to keep a firm hold on power. In the late night hours of the last legislative session, parties affiliated with the country's elite changed the voting procedures for local and provincial officials. In doing so, they consolidated their control over that process and put a formidable obstacle in the path of newcomers who might hope to replicate the success of President-elect Joko Widodo.
The decision might yet be rescinded — it should be — but it is a reminder that democracy has tenuous roots in Indonesia and must be constantly nurtured.
A deeply entrenched elite has long dominated politics in Indonesia. Throughout the three-plus decades of rule by former strongman Suharto, local leaders such as mayors or governors were appointed by local parliaments. Not surprisingly, this system reinforced itself; control of the purse reinforced the existing power structures, and corruption was rampant.