Dear
friends and colleagues
This
to let you know that there is an additional SISC meeting on 8 November when Dr
Patrick Ziegenhain will discuss the Indonesian Parliament from 1997 to the
present.
Speaker:
Dr Patrick Ziegenhain (born 1969) is a Research Fellow at the Arnold
Bergstraesser Institute in Freiburg/ Germany,
and lecturer in political science at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg
and for the Academic Year in Freiburg, a
one-year study abroad program offered by a consortium of US universities. His
recent publications include (with Jürgen Rüland, Clemens Jürgenmeyer and
Michael Nelson, "Parliaments and Political Change in Asia.
A Comparative Study of India,
Indonesia, the Philippines, South
Korea and Thailand",
Singapore:
ISEAS, 2005, and "Deficits of the Indonesian Parliament and Their Impact
on the Democratisation Process", in: Wessel, Ingrid (ed.): "Stuck in
Transition? Indonesia after
the Fall of Suharto", Berlin:
Logos, 2005, pp. 27-38.
Further
information on: http://www.arnold-bergstraesser.de/CV/ziegenhain.htm
Topic:
The Role of the Indonesian Parliament during the Democratisation Process
between 1997 and 2005.
In
his presentation, Dr Patrick Ziegenhain, department of political science,
University of Freiburg/Germany, will analyse the performance of the Indonesian
parliament in the era of reformasi since 1997. This period saw tremendous
changes in the role of the Indonesian parliament in the political system. Once
labeled a powerless rubber stamp, the parliament developed into a comprehensive
and more representative body able to fulfil its functions more adequately.
Parliament
has both advanced and hindered democratization in Indonesia. After the 1999 election,
it became one of Indonesia’s
most powerful political actors, a (sometimes sputtering) motor for reform and
center for power struggles.
Many
personal and structural deficits hinder the daily work of the DPR, they hamper
the fulfilment of its parliamentary functions. Consequently, these weaknesses
cannot be regarded as minor details, but as serious impediments to further
democratization. Beside a thorough literature review, Dr Ziegenhain interviewed
more than a dozen DPR members on the contribution of the national parliament
for the ongoing democratisation process and will present theirs and his
opinion.
Time
and Date: 5:30 pm Tuesday 8 November
Venue:
University of Technology,
Sydney 02.06.41
This
is next to the Tower Building (Building 1) and can be accessed from the Tower Building
situated on Broadway.
We
look forward to seeing you there, all welcome!
Steven
Drakeley for the SISC Organising Committee1
