Shadow State
Political compromise is unavoidable in a democracy. However, there is a principle that must be met, which is to continue to put the interests of the public above the interests of groups or individuals.
“Deep state” is a term quite popular in American politics. If it is translated freely, it means, more or less, “shadow state”. In the United States, it is said the government and Congress, which are officially elected by the people, are not fully functional and do not have the power to run the government.
There are several powerful interest groups that shadow the government there and they can exercise power without being hindered by the president.
These are the big corporations on Wall Street; the rulers of the military-industrial companies, which benefit greatly from wars and the like; the mass media, controlled by corporations; and the Israeli lobby, which is known to be very strong in controlling and determining who can sit as people's representatives in Congress.
There are several powerful interest groups that shadow the government there and they can exercise power without being hindered by the president.
Recently, it has also been seen the strengthening of influence and the expanding role of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in directing the policies of the US president. Each morning, the head of the CIA is the first official to appear to the president for an intelligence briefing.
One well-known example is the US invasion of Iraq, which spent trillions of US dollars and resulted in thousands of casualties, under the administration of former president George W Bush Jr.
The US military invasion was the result of a lie by the CIA, which claimed to have evidence the Iraqi leader, Saddam Husein, possessed weapons of mass destruction.
Unnoticed, very powerful
Another group also included as part of the deep state is the bureaucracy that implements government policies. These bureaucrats are generally not replaced, even when the president changes as a result of elections.
These bureaucrats are very powerful and difficult to control because they have been entrenched in their positions for decades and control various information and government networks.
The deep state is also known as an invisible government because it is mostly unclear who is involved in it. They are not responsible to anyone, not elected by the people and not transparent. They also have never reported or disclosed their works to the public.
That, among other things, is said to be the cause of Barack Obama's failure to fulfill his campaign promises to carry out total reform of the political machine, which tends to be corrupt, in Washington. Long before that, former US president Dwight D. Eisenhower had issued stark warnings about the dangers of the power of interest groups, especially the military-industrial group.
Of course, not all Americans agree about the existence of the deep state. Some scientists and political observers say the deep state is the imagination of people who are fond of conspiracy theories.
Does a deep state also exist in Indonesia?
Jokowi's second term
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is basically not a party person. Unlike his predecessors, although he is officially a member of the Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he does not own or control any political party. The majority of the people reelected him because they were satisfied with his work in the first five years.
The people also believe Jokowi is a clean, honest and hardworking figure, even though we also know he made a mistake in appointing some less-than-ideal assistants. He did this because he had to compromise with his supporting parties, which were expected to nominate him for a second term.
In this second period, expectations for Jokowi's performance increased because now he is no longer too dependent on political parties. The electorate hoped Jokowi would be more assertive and courageous in making decisions.
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However, several events leading up to his inauguration for a second term made his supporters anxious about whether Jokowi was a figure that was strong and courageous enough to withstand pressure from various power groups.
This doubt began with his decision to choose a vice-presidential candidate (cawapres) in the last seconds of his re-nomination, reportedly due to pressure from outside. Recently, there have also been issues related to the Draft Law on the Corruption Eradication Commission (RUU KPK), the Draft Criminal Code (RKUHP) and the Draft Law on Correctional System.
In addition, the selection of the KPK leadership candidates resulted in a figure that had been under public scrutiny.
All of this led to the decline of public trust in Jokowi's firmness. There is a strong impression Jokowi's defense has failed in facing political forces that have united to surround him. Is there a real shadow ruler who is more powerful than the President?
In our country, it is often referred to as a political oligarchy, namely a collection of political parties whose ideology only seeks power. These political parties unite to equate steps for their common interests.
Cases of forest fires in several regions also appear to be the result of corrupt regional leaders and bureaucrats who did not carry out presidential instructions, but colluded with businessmen.
If this is allowed to continue, elements of oligarchic politicians and bureaucrats can also become the deep state or a shadow state that operates alone outside the control of the government.
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Oligarchic politicians, regional leaders, bureaucrats and big businessmen often have the same interests, contrary to the principles of clean government. The end is material gain. When they unite, it is difficult for a president alone to fight against them without the support of the people.
Perhaps Jokowi's fault was that he did not immediately show his teeth and declare, "I am the one who has received the mandate from the people,” so that the pressure group could become stronger, more united and rampant. Whether it is a deep state or not, its strength and influence should not be allowed to grow.
Political compromise
Political compromise is unavoidable in a democracy. However, there is a principle that must be met, which is to continue to put the interests of the public above the interests of groups or individuals. There has to be unanimous agreement that corruption, alongside extremism and drugs, is a common enemy. Territorial sovereignty is also not a material for compromise.
It must be remembered the President cannot be fired by anyone. Impeachment is possible, but on pretty tough terms. For a president who does not have a party, Jokowi should better listen to his constituents rather than the aspirations of a party or power group. If the President is firm, we are sure that in the end the parasites will adapt and the people will benefit.
This writing is not for Jokowi because he is already at the end of his presidential mandate. This article is intended as a warning to those who have ambitions to replace Jokowi in the presidential election, which will be held in the next nine months.
Abdillah Toha, political, economic and religious observer
(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi)
