Democracy has universal values

Although democracy does not function the same way in every country, it does have certain universal values, and therefore, a special forum is needed to discuss it and to exchange experiences.

It is towards this end that the Bali Democracy Forum (BDF) is considered an appropriate platform for discussing the concept of democracy openly, comfortably and without any pressure.

Initiated by Indonesia in 2008, the BDF is an annual, inclusive and open intergovernmental forum about development of democracy in the Asia-Pacific region.

The forum is aimed at promoting and fostering regional and international cooperation in the field of peace and democracy through dialogue based on shared experiences and best practices that adhere to the principles of equality and mutual respect and understanding.

The participating countries share the ownership of this forum. 

In the light of this, Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno LP Marsudi has stated that the Bali Democracy Forum will also be held in 2016.

"Democracy is an asset of Indonesian diplomacy. Through the BDF, we want to sell democracy constantly, and invite various countries to work together," Retno remarked just before the 8th Bali Democracy Forum in Nusa Dua, Bali, came to a close on Friday afternoon.

The minister explained that in 2016 and subsequent years, the BDF will be held on the same two days, December 10 and 11.

Once the organization of the BDF and outcome of this forum are evaluated, the BDF team from the Foreign Ministry and the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD) as the implementing agency will prepare an implementation plan for the next Bali Democracy Forum 2016.

Retno noted that the countries participating in the Bali Democracy Forum are committed to upholding democracy in all regions.

The commitment is reflected in the increase in the number of participating countries from 85 in the previous forum to 89 nations attending December 10-11, 2015 event held here.

"It reflects the commitment and willingness of each nation to share experiences in implementing democracy and adopting its values," the minister affirmed.

The organization of the forum virtually coincided with Indonesias regional elections in 264 districts and cities.

Retno emphasized that the delegations were able to witness the democratic electoral process implemented in Indonesia.

Additionally, the recommendations of the forum will be implemented by the IPD that has already promoted democracy in Egypt, Fiji, Myanmar, Tunis, Libya, Palestine, Cambodia and Myanmar.

"The newest initiative taken by the IPD were the holding of Civil Society Forum and the Media Forum, organized in conjunction with the Bali Democracy Forum," Retno added.

In 2015, Indonesia actively promoted democracy at 50 international meetings.

"We cannot use undemocratic values to force nations or people to implement democracy. We must honor the uniqueness of each nation in implementing democracy," Retno added.

In his opening speech at the 8th BDF on Thursday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla noted that political democracy should be in line with the objectives to be achieved for the welfare of the community as a whole.

"For all of us, democracy is not a goal but a means to improve the welfare of the people," Kalla said, adding that Indonesia implemented the first ever simultaneous regional head elections that ran smoothly, in an orderly fashion, and peacefully on December 9, 2015.

The Vice President also reminded that the World Bank had recently released the data on poverty and economic inequality in the world, including in Indonesia.

In addition, Kalla emphasized that acts of terrorism and radicalism were reported almost daily, and therefore, it is paramount for democracy to overcome such aberrations.

"Democracy can overcome issues, such as poverty, inequality and terrorism as well as the problem of poor governance in an effective manner," he added. 

Kalla noted that democracy around the world cannot be forced or work in tandem with the violence stemming from invasions launched by powerful countries.

"Democracy cannot be spread by force, it must be brought through democratic means," the Vice President said, adding that to spread democracy, it is necessary to educate the community to gain better understanding.

Seeing the various problems faced by many countries, such as corruption, democracy requires transparency in governance, Jusuf added.

In addition, checks and balances in a government must be maintained properly. He admitted that sometimes the "checks and balances" between legislative and executive parliament members are on account of factors such as dishonesty.

For that reason, the Vice President said, it is important to improve parliamentary relations.

"This is a great lesson for Indonesia on how to run a democracy. The institutions of democracy must also be trustworthy," he noted.

In relation to this, he mentioned the activities of global terrorism outfits, such as ISIS/Daesh or Al-Qaeda, which had sprung up as a result of certain countries failing to implement a democratic system.

"Democracy is universal, but does not have to necessarily remove the uniqueness in each country. It must be noted," he explained.

Deputy Foreign Minister A.M. Fachir, in his closing remarks on Friday, said the 8th Bali Democracy Forum produced a Chairs Statement which pushed for embodying the principles of good governance to support the democratic process in each participating country.

"There should be cooperation between governments and communities to develop democratization, and BDF plays an important role in exchanging experiences of democracy and practical cooperation," Fachir noted.

Through the forum, which lasted for two days and was attended by 89 countries and three international organizations, Fachir underlined three important points that fit the theme of this years BDF: "Democracy and Effective Public Governance."

According to him, the first point has to do with the efforts to ensure good governance, the second about the governments becoming open, transparent and for them to cooperate with various stakeholders to improve governance. The third point, he said, was the need for the media and the civil society to play better role as partners with the government to assist in the process of monitoring and balancing.

In his concluding statement, Fachir also encouraged active participation of various countries and organizations, urging them to cooperate with the Institute for Peace and Democracy, the implementing agency of the Bali Democracy Forum

Source: ANTARA