Australian Labor’s International Projects unit has committed to continue its democracy building activities in Indonesia in the lead-up to the 2009 legislative and presidential elections after the completion of an evaluation mission in mid-September.

Date:  17 February 2008

Phil O’Donoghue took part in an assessment of political party strengthening projects as part of a team put together by the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). Also on the team were senior NDI representatives from Jakarta and officials from NDI head office in Washington DC.

In 2006, O’Donoghue was a senior member of the International Projects Evaluation team sent to Papua New Guinea.

ALP International Projects began its collaboration with the NDI in Indonesia in 2006. NDI is a US based agency specialising in support for political party development and has links to the US Democrats.

NDI has had a presence in Indonesia for over a decade, but this was the first time opportunity for a formal assessment. This has occurred mid-way in the Indonesian election cycle.

Most parties have begun strengthening their party organization to encourage discipline during the campaign. Many also undertake increasingly sophisticated political campaigns making full use of qualitative and quantitative polling techniques. During consultations, one pollster reported that villagers, when asked to provide their opinions of national politics, would sometimes burst into tears surprised that their views were valued.

“This was a refreshing antidote to the cynicism often evident in Australia about our politics” and, O’Donoghue noted, “to me that tale says much about the support for democracy in Indonesia and what ALP International Projects is trying to achieve.”

Indonesia’s main political parties showed great interest in the Australian Federal election and were offered the opportunity to nominate their officials for a high level delegation to observe the final week of the Australian campaign (see this issue).

International Projects will continue to assist Indonesia’s political parties consolidate the democratic gains of the last ten years.