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Alternative Political Committee Manifesto - March 11, 2014
As the 2014 legislative and presidential elections draw ever closer, the ordinary people are increasingly faced with choices that offer no choice. The faces of legislative candidates (caleg) are displayed on every single street corner with messages such as "mohon doa restu" (we ask for your blessing) or "bersih, tegas, peduli" (clean, resolute, caring) and the like. But we know, and in fact the ordinary people, there is not one candidate or political party that will address the real problems facing the people.
The political retreat in the 2014 elections has happened precisely at the same time as these candidates and the political parties no longer feel the need to take up programs for or make promises to the ordinary people. The failure of the political elite in realising their promises and programs to improve the people's welfare in the 2009 elections are not being answered in these elections by clarifying these programs or affirming the people's control in overseeing the programs of the candidates that will later be election, but instead by a retreat into image building and promoting so-called "national figures" who lie through the mass media. We, the Indonesian people are not stupid!
In response to the need to build the nation and improve the welfare of the ordinary people in the midst of this shrinking democracy, we feel the need to build a national alternative movement that will take a stand and clear position in the 2014 elections, which at the same time can provide direction to the people's future struggle. Accordingly, the following outlines our position and demands.
The 2014 elections are not the people's election. This conclusion is based on the following facts:
a) There is not one alternative pro-people political program that is being promoted by the candidates from the political parties that have come forward as participants in the 2014 elections. Even where several candidates have promised such programs, they are little more than "merchandise" because they are unable to clarify how they will be achieved. This is evident from the incapacity of their political parties and the candidates' leadership track record in undertaking any of the programs that they are peddling.
b) There is not one pro-people political alterative that has been carried out buy the participants in the 2014 elections that positions the ordinary people to be able to oversee or control the candidates or future leaders. This is proven by the fact that there is not one candidate who has offered to give the ordinary people the right to evaluate or remove them from office (right of recall).
c) The two points above are based on the fact that not one pro-people alterative political party is taking part in the 2014 elections because they are obstructed by a system and regulations that are anti-democratic. So the 2014 elections can be said to be a bourgeois election because the political parties that are taking part are bandits and pretenders whose interests lie not with the people, but with capital.
Because of this therefore, no matter who wins the elections, they will continue to pursue exploitative neo-liberal policies that will further impoverish the Indonesian people. And because of this, we will continue to oppose the outcome of the 2014 elections.
But this does not mean that we or the people do not need democracy and elections as a democratic arena. It is precisely because the democracy that exists today is so very inadequate that we are convinced that the 2014 elections will not bring about any change whatsoever, and will in fact only be used to legitimise the authority of the political parties that have worked to oppress and impoverish the ordinary people.
Because of this therefore, what is needed is ALTERNATIVE MOVEMENT that will provide an impetus to open up democratic space as widely as possible for the ordinary people to participate in politics and position the people as the rulers of the destiny of the nation and the Indonesian people's future. This participation cannot be limited only to voting for existing candidates, but must also include building a POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE to OPPOSE THE 2014 ELECTIONS, which means OPPPOSING THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM and the POLIITCAL PARTIES that will take part in the 2014 elections, in order to give birth to a POLITICAL ALTERNATIVE and elections that are truly democratic.
Such an alternative party should at the very least take up the following alternative pro-people programs for national reform and the people's future:
a) The nationalisation of strategic national assets under the control of the people for the procurement of state financial sources and the welfare of the people. These assets, which are currently in sectors that are increasingly under the ownership of the private sector and foreign interests, include forestry, fishing, plantations, mining and energy, telecommunication, banking, transpiration, education and healthcare;
b) Arrest, try and seize the assets of corruptors;
c) A national industrialisation program that is environmentally friendlily in order to build national self-sufficiency and create real job opportunities;
d) The repudiation of the foreign debt;
e) Genuine agrarian reform so that the management of land and agrarian resources is modernised and just;
f) The implementation of a reasonable national wage and the abolition of contract labour and outsourcing systems;
g) The provision of subsidies to ensure:
i. free education, healthcare, and drinking water
ii. affordable food, energy, housing, transportation and communication
h) The sustainable management of natural resources and the environment through the participation of the people and effective modern technology;
i) Equality of social, economic, political and cultural rights for women;
j) The opening up of the broadest possible democratic space:
i. The abolition of all anti-democratic legislation, including changes to the political party and electoral system in order create political parties and elections that are truly democratic
ii. Freedom and solidarity in order to safeguard ethnic, religious and racial diversity
iii. Freedom of expression and the arts in order to develop a pro-people culture
k) People's justice for the corruptors and violators of gross human rights violations;
l) The right to a referendum for the people to participate in and control national policies;
m) The formation of a people's consultative assembly that would function to oversea and control the implementation the above programs by the elected government.
We invite and call upon all people's movement organisations to build people's unity and jointly become a pole of attraction to build a political alternative for fundamental change in Indonesia.
Likewise, we also invite and call on all elements of the Indonesian people who are conscious of the history of the people's struggle to join this alternative movement by means of:
a) Holding actions in their respective cities and expressing their opposition by taking up the theme "Reject the 2014 elections, build a political alternative" along with taking up the 13 point program above as a solution to the problems of the Indonesian people.
Further, we will also be holding a simultaneous national action at the end of March and putting up thousands of posters in scores of cities as a means of socialising this among the people.
b) Take up symbols of the people's struggle in the form of pictures of figures in the people struggle such as poet Wiji Thukul, labour activist Marsinah, renowned human rights campaigner Munir and others in the form of T-shirts, posters, graffiti, flags, stickers and so forth as a symbol of opposition to the 2014 elections.
c) Deface ballot papers in the national and regional legislative elections and the presidential election with graffiti or by writing the people's program above or other popular demands as a form of opposition to the elections.
Political Alternative Committee (Komite Politik Alternatif, KPA)
Information Centre: 021-96041547
Supporting organisations:
National Labour Movement Centre Preparatory Committee (KP-SGBN): Sultoni
People's Youth Movement Centre Preparatory Committee (KP-SGMK): Pay
Indonesian Student Union (SMI): Martin
Solidarity Alliance for Labour Struggle (GSPB): Ata
People's Liberation Party (PPR): Surya
United Indonesian Struggle (PPI): Adi
Working People's Association-Organisational Saviours Committee (KPO-PRP): Mika
Indonesian Workers Federation of Struggle (FPBI): Helmi
Indonesian Migrant Workers Trade Union (SBMI): Ramses
Student Struggle Center for National Liberation (Pembebasan): Moken
Independent Trade Union (SBM): Erwan
Jakarta Transportation Front (Front Jak): Nana
Indonesian Cultural Society Union (Sebumi): Ibob
Indonesia People’s Movement (GRI): Indra
Indonesian People's Struggle Union (SPRI): Nda
Sedane Labour Resource Centre (LIPS): Abu
East Java United Indonesian Labour Movement (PPBI Jatim): Hary
Mojokerto Free Women (Mahardhika Mojokerto): Iis
