RI SHARES EXPERIENCE IN DEMOCRACY WITH IRAQ

RIDWAN MAX SIJABAT – THE JAKARTA POST

Against a backdrop of pro-democracy movements in the Middle East, Indonesia shared its experience with Iraq on developing democracy, with House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie calling democracy compatible with Islam.

Speaking at the Iraqi parliament on Thursday, he said Indonesia experienced a democratization movement similar to that in Tunisia and Egypt with the reform movement in 1998 that forced the collapse of late former president Soeharto’s 32-year New Order regime and was now the world’s third-largest democracy after India and the US.

“Indonesia shows the world that democracy and Islam are not two opposing poles and the two go in harmony. We are proud of our democracy and Islam as our national identity,” he said. Indonesia, however, is technically a secular country.

Marzuki said Indonesia conducted four general elections with a multiparty system and established independent commissions, including human rights, anticorruption and judicial commissions to uphold good governance and civil society.

“We went through the whole democratization process to maintain political stability and improve public welfare.”

Despite being a Muslim-majority country, he added, Indonesia respected pluralism by granting minorities and all citizens equal rights to take part in the political process.

After his speech, Marzuki and his counterpart Usama Abdul Azis Nujayfi signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance the two countries’ bilateral cooperation in the political and economic fields, which had been stalled following the US invasion.

Under the MoU, both sides woud issue joint responses to international issues and the two legislatures would take part and enhance cooperation with elements of society.

“We want to expand bilateral cooperation in the legislative, budgetary and social control and youth exchange to improve the country’s economic development,” Marzuki said.

Iraqi Minister of Mineral Resources Abdul Kareen Luaibi said in his meeting with Marzuki that Iraq was ready to improve bilateral ties with Indonesia in the natural resources field.

“Iraq is ready to help Indonesia cope with its fuel deficit and Iraq has invited President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to bring Indonesian businesspeople in his next visit to the country,” he said.