Author(s): Feri Amsari
In the aftermath of the collapse of Orde Lama (Old Order), Indonesia opened up to the regime of political pluralism or multipartism. Although multipartism is deemed as a vital element of democracy, since it fosters freedom of expression, and association, it was not until the advent of the political era known as Era Reformasi (Reformation Era) in 1998 that Indonesia really started to experience democracy as free and fair general elections were held that were open to every political party. But the participation of political parties in general elections alone is not the sine qua non for a good democracy. A more democratic Indonesia is also and more importantly achievable when political parties themselses welcome and champion democratic ideas and processes within themselves by accepting change in party leadership and by allowing and encouraging every party member to voice their concerns and pursue their political ambitions. This is a process known as intra-political party democracy. This paper discusses the implementation of intra-party democracy. It seeks to address the issue as to how political parties can contribute in the promotion of political stability and democracy in Indonesia. The study reveals that the dependence on one individual/figure prevents many political parties from implementing intra-party democracy, which in turn is detrimental to democracy in Indonesia.