Topic: 2025 – Authoritarianism and Democracy
Country: Indonesia
Delegate Name: Ava Gailitis
Country: Indonesia
Delegate: Ava Gailitis
School: Williamston High School
Committee: SPECPOL
Topic: Authoritarianism and Democracy
As the world becomes more connected and migration and inequality are on the rise, public opinion is shifting. Many citizens want a more powerful, divisive leader who may be less bound by legislature than they would have been in the past. Autocratic governments are on the rise, and there are more of them; they have higher approval ratings and are staying in power for longer than seen in previous years. Figuring out where each country falls in terms of democratic or autocratic governments is a helpful first step in handling the issue.
In the past, Indonesia had an autocratic government, toppling it as recently as 1998. Since that time, Indonesia has made significant strides toward democracy, implementing a republican-style government with three branches. It made many amendments to its constitution, allowing for the election of judges and direct elections for president. On a global scale, the country of Indonesia has collaborated with groups such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and incorporated democracy and human rights into its charter. In addition, Indonesia started the Bali Democracy Forum in order to promote democracy on a global scale. Rather than enforcing democracy, Indonesia promotes the idea of “homegrown democracy,” allowing countries to develop their own governments, with simply suggestions from other states.
In the future, it is essential to ensure that democracies that have formed more recently are able to have access to the resources that they need in order to stabilize and become strong, reliable governments. However, it is important that national sovereignty is respected and no country feels democracy is being forced upon them, in line with the ideals of “homegrown democracy” mentioned above. Furthermore, leaning on groups and alliances that are already developed, such as the United Nations Development Programme or ASEAN, can help promote democracy on a global scale. Indonesia is looking forward to partnering with fellow ASEAN members to resolve this issue.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02185377.2020.1814361#:~:text=ABSTRACT,non%2Dinterference
