Indonesian netizens express outrage over scrapping of direct elections

Indonesian netizens took to Twitter to express their fury stating that that the country's democracy was dead following the country’s House of Representatives decision to eliminate direct elections for local leaders.

They also criticised the action taken by outgoing Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, also known as SBY, who ordered members of his Democratic Party to vote against the proposal.

However, on Friday, Susilo’s lawmakers decided to walk out from a plenary session on the regional elections bill at the House of Representatives, which eventually led to the replacement of direct elections for regional mayors and governors with indirect elections.

The hashtags #ShameOnYou SBY and #RIPDemokrasi became trending mere hours after the decision was made.

Many netizens criticised the decision, saying it was a backward decision:

this is so sad! our beloved country must be forward not backward :( RIP Indonesian democracy #shameonyousby
— febryani pesik (@febryanips) September 26, 2014

We are heading back to the past time era again. Welcome to the old Indonesia. #ShameOnYouSBY #RIPDemokrasi Damn you sby!!
— HeruTopanAja (@HeruTopanAja) September 26, 2014

Keep this #ShameOnYouSBY on the top trending topic, show to the world, he and his party are COWARDS @SBYudhoyono
— Kaiser (@kaiser_tan) September 27, 2014

A netizen in a Tweet to the decision also reminded SBY that he was the first democratically elected president by the people:

-How ironic! D first real democratically elected president by the ppl - is the one who let his party walking out of a crisis-#ShameOnYouSBY
— Niki silaen (@nikisilaen) September 26, 2014

This is exactly how you'll be remembered mr. SBY!! #shameonyousby [pic] — https://t.co/6SoGYcj9Bs
— Maria Yuvina Fei Fei (@feifei89) September 27, 2014

#ShameOnYouSBY Don't wash your hands Mr. SBY!! You HAVE to be responsible for "The Death of Indonesian Democracy" !#RIPDemokrasi
— Giano Soza (@GianoSoza) September 27, 2014

Some went to the extent of stating that SBY was a great actor:

and the Oscar goes to .... #ShameOnYouSBY [pic] — https://t.co/X6i914OBkt
— BieWan Grindelwald (@Bie_Grindelwald) September 27, 2014

@sbyudhoyono beside your job as a president, you have an album of your compilation song, oh you're an good actor too now sir! #shameonyousby
— Bastian Willy (@bastianwillyy) September 26, 2014

You're the best actor ever Mr. @SBYudhoyono. You've won the shame award. Your 10 years is wasting time! #ShameOnYouSBY #RIPDemokrasi
— Saragah [Repi] P. (@RepiPratama) September 27, 2014

In rection to the matter, Indonesian president-elect Joko Widodo had accused his opponents of rolling back democracy after 226 lawmakers had voted in favour of ending the current system of mayors, provincial governors and district heads being chosen by the public.

The decision instead, gives local parliaments the power to pick these leaders, which critics say is a blow to the process of democratisation that was started after the downfall of dictator Suharto in 1998 following three decades of authoritarian rule.

Observers also said the decision to scrap the direct elections for local leaders was a bad start for Joko Widodo, who will be inaugurated on October 20, as he will need to win support in parliament in future to push through reforms aimed at reviving a slowing economy and strengthening the country's welfare system.