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IL News 018/2013
4th National Consultation: Approaching 2014 National Agenda, Legislative and Presidential Elections, What Should Be Done
Jakarta, October 25-27, 2013
The 4th National Consultation was co-hosted by the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), Fellowship of Indonesian Evangelical Churches and Institutions (PGLII), Fellowship of Indonesian Pentecostal Churches (PGPI), and Institut Leimena, where Institut Leimena was appointed as the Organizing Committee. Indonesian Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Air Force General (Ret.) Djoko Suyanto, opened the consultation with his keynote speech on the theme, “Approaching 2014 National Agenda, Legislative and Presidential Elections. What Should Be Done?”
The conference drew around 150 people from 20 provinces, including senior leaders from 65 church synods, 10 national and regional fellowships of churches, and 9 universities. For three days they enthusiastically participated in discussing various topics, such as: Knowing the Choices in 2014 Elections, National Political Development and 2014 Elections, Roles and Challenges Facing Churches in 2014 Elections, Building Honest and Clean Judiciary, Advocating Legislations In Line With People’s Aspiration and Pancasila Values, Preventing Money Laundering to Fight Corruption, and National Economy Prospects and Challenges.
On the last day, a “Recommendations” document from the 4th National Consultation was produced and endorsed by all four hosting institutions—Communion of Churches in Indonesia, Fellowship of Indonesian Evangelical Churches and Institutions, Fellowship of Indonesian Pentecostal Churches, and Institut Leimena. The document says:
Results and Recommendations
Entering the national agenda in 2014, that is the General/Legislative Election and Presidential Election, and beyond, our main tasks are to build a system based on the Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution that can support a healthy life of nation and state, and to build quality human resources that can participate in developing the system. All this is in an effort to consolidate democracy that has started since the 1945 Constitution’s amendments in 1999 to 2002. In accordance with the 1945 Constitution, the system being built must strengthen constitutional democracy, uphold the rule of law, and support a sustainable and just economic development.
The 1945 Constitution guarantees the rights of the citizens to actively participate in this, so that the churches as institutions with a strong grassroot base should encourage and facilitate active participation of these citizens. This role is part of the church’s calling as salt and light in the life of the society, nation, and state.
