Indonesia trapped in gray zone.

After four years of the reform era following the fall of Soeharto from power, Indonesia now deserves to be categorized as one of the countries trapped in a politically gray zone. Such a situation must prompt us to analyze whether Indonesia is today really in a political transition heading toward a consolidation of democracy or at a standstill without making significant progress.

This view refers to countries that are often assumed to be in a political transition. Although at a certain level they show democratic attributes and procedures like political and press freedom, routine and clean general elections and independent and strong civil society, essentially they still face severe erosion in political life. Their …