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The International Republican Institute (IRI) has been working with the people of Indonesia to advance their country's democratic development since the fall of the Haji Mohammad Suharto regime in 1998. IRI supports the democratic consolidation process by strengthening the country's governing institutions, assisting political parties in better addressing voter concerns and promoting increased women’s participation in politics and governance.
Political Party Strengthening
IRI works with political parties at the provincial level in core political party building areas. By working to update organizational structures, parties can operate in a more sophisticated, efficient and ultimately responsible manner. IRI encourages political parties to become internally democratic, to critically assess their strengths and weaknesses and to work toward becoming organizations that are able to better represent the needs of their constituents.
IRI continues to work closely with political parties throughout Indonesia to help them develop and identify issues for political campaigns, particularly in preparation for direct local elections. Currently, IRI provides training and individual party consultations on leadership development, transparent candidate selection, accountable party finance and effective communication with constituents. For example, IRI is assisting newly-formed and established political parties in Aceh following the successful gubernatorial election of December 2006.
Public Opinion Research
Public opinion polling is another major component of IRI’s activities in Indonesia. IRI conducts public opinion research at the national and provincial levels and uses the polling data to strengthen trainings provided to political parties and government officials across Indonesia. Polling data serves as an excellent tool in demonstrating the benefits of issue-based campaigns, political party platforms and government initiatives.
As part of the 2009 election program, IRI has conducted a national poll and a series of provincial polls. The polls will be used through the 2009 election to inform political parties at national and provincial levels. Additionally, IRI has trained political parties on polling techniques and methodologies in an attempt to encourage parties to gather and analyze data themselves.
Election Monitoring
Election monitoring is an important defense against fraud at polling stations on Election Day. IRI conducted an extensive party poll-watcher program in Indonesia’s 32 provinces in preparation for the 2004 national elections with representatives from 24 political parties. Party representatives were trained on election observation techniques as well as procedures for documenting Election Day irregularities. The 2004 national elections were widely hailed by the international community as being free, fair and open.
For the 2009 national election IRI will conduct party poll-watcher trainings in five provinces. This effort will include the distribution of a party agent training manual. IRI will also assist the parties as they interpret the electoral law and coordinate with the election commission on the proper registration of complaints and documentation of elections irregularities. In select provinces holding local direct elections, IRI will also continue its party poll-watcher training program.
Governance Initiatives
Getting elected to political office is one matter; governing responsibly and effectively is another. IRI has worked on a variety of governance initiatives in Indonesia designed to consolidate democratic gains following the country’s historic 2004 national elections. IRI’s previous programs specifically addressed the challenges of remaining politically accountable and maintaining contact with constituents between election cycles.
IRI has worked with local and provincial parliaments to develop strategies for elected officials to increase interaction with their constituents. As well as urging legislators to develop stronger relationships with individual voters, legislators are also encouraged to work more closely and frequently with local civil society and advocacy groups.
With assistance from the United States Agency for International Development, skill-based trainings have been held for legislators focusing on topics such as legal drafting, performance-based budgeting, coalition building and constituent outreach. These trainings have provided legislators with increased abilities to understand the purpose of legislation in addressing social problems, as well as providing the tools necessary to draft procedures governing legal drafting – an unprecedented effort at the provincial level in Indonesia.
Women’s Political Empowerment
In response to a lack of investment and commitment from political parties in promoting women’s participation in politics, IRI launched a two-and-a-half-year women’s political initiative program in July 2006 designed to expand the field of women candidates for the 2009 elections.
With support from the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, IRI works to encourage the participation of women specifically at the grassroots political party level. IRI offers trainings on topics such as women and politics; internal democracy; communication and leadership skills development.
Past Successes
Election monitoring is an important tool in ensuring that elections are peaceful, fair and credible. IRI’s extensive party agent program in preparation for the 2004 national elections helped assure that the 2004 national elections were conducted in a free, fair and open manner.
In 2006, IRI continued its party agent training program in Aceh following the peace agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement. This training was undertaken in preparation for Aceh’s gubernatorial election in December 2006.
IRI conducted 14 party agent training-of-trainers seminars in all 21 regencies in Aceh with more than 600 members of all political parties and representatives of all independent candidates contesting the elections. These participants went on to train approximately 35,000 fellow party members and representatives in advance of the election. An IRI delegation observed the Aceh election which was deemed free, fair and peaceful by national and international observers. With the successful election of their first parliament and governor, a new era for the people of Aceh was ushered in.
IRI successfully conducted an e-governance program that has been a creative approach to increasing the accountability, transparency and constructive engagement of provincial level elected officials by their constituents. This program was launched in Yogyakarta Provincial Parliament in July 2005 with an e-governance parliament website and expanded to East Java and South Sulawesi in 2006-2007.
In April 2007, an e-governance specialist from Hong Kong provided two assessments to the Yogyakarta Provincial Parliament in an effort to assist the parliament with a more institutionalized e-governance strategy and to help build sustained support from all stakeholders for this effort. In a political environment where there has been little legislator-constituent interaction, this program has helped to improve communication between constituents and legislators, giving legislators a better understanding of public concerns and desires.
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