Drugov Alexey

The Indonesian Army and Democratic Reforms

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2018, №1(38), 97-118

 
Annotation: With the fall of the military-authoritarian regime in 1998, the Indonesian army lost its dominant position, which it officially had in the political system of the country. The constitutional amendments introduced in 1999-2002 created a legal basis for the democratization of political life. But due to the disunity of political parties and corruption in the state apparatus, the army retained significant influence in civil structures up to village communities. This is facilitated by the significant threat of Islamic radicalism, when the army is perceived as one of the most reliable pillars of counteraction to this evil. There are fears that the military, dissatisfied with democratic reforms, will expand its political participation. President Joko Widodo is taking some steps to counter this process.

Keywords: Army, generals, politics, parties, democratic reforms, Islamic radicalism, government