Nongovernmental Organisations and Corruption Prevention in Democratising Indonesia (1998–2008)

Abstract

Like many transitional democracies, Indonesia has experienced increased activity by nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), including those which focus on the prevention of corruption. Scholarly literature suggests that the democratising context favours such organisations and their anti-corruption initiatives. However, the reality may be more complex than the literature suggests. Based on an assumption that there is a negative correlation between accountability and corruption, this thesis brings the concept of accountability into the discussion of democratisation, NGOs and the combatting of corruption. Extending existing literature on social accountability, it focuses on several varieties of accountability activities initiated by Jakarta-based NGOs with the goal of combatting corruption. They include initiatives aimed at enforcing electoral accountability; influencing policy-making to strengthen accountability institutions; and mobilising stakeholders to utilise participatory accountability institutions. Through intensive interviews with NGO activists involved in these initiatives, this thesis offers indepth analysis of the struggle against corruption in Indonesia during the Reformasi era. It argues that the context of democratisation offered NGOs opportunities to strengthen accountability institutions while limiting space for the enforcement of electoral accountability and participatory accountability. It also finds that NGOs endeavoured to overcome the limitations or challenges that they encountered, suggesting that contextual conditions may improve in the near future. These findings not only extend scholarly discussions on the enforcement of accountability in transitional democracies, but also help explain why corruption remains pervasive in democratising Indonesia. Show more