This article published in East Asia Forum is written by Fadhilah Fitri Primandari. Here is an excerpt:

The Economist’s Democracy Index for 2020 has confirmed that Indonesia’s democracy is dwindling. The report gave the country its lowest score yet, casting doubt on Indonesia’s prospects for democratic consolidation. Academics and activists have voiced concerns that Indonesia’s democracy will further stagger in the near future, following a global trend of governments limiting political freedoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Indonesian government’s quick response to the report’s release outlined its ongoing commitment to strengthening democracy. Such claims are not new — democratic consolidation has been an explicit part of the government’s agenda since 2005, manifested in the National Long-Term Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Panjang Nasional or RPJPN) and its derivatives, including the latest National Medium-Term Development Plan (Rencana Pembangunan Jangka Menengah Nasional).

Aligned with the agenda, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Development Planning have specific bodies to plan and monitor the progress of the country’s democratic development. The government also consistently evaluates its own democratic index and sets targets that it aims to meet in the years ahead.

Read the full article here.