Top-Down Is the Problem, Not the Solution to Democracy
Today, democracy in Indonesia appears to be functioningâbut in truth, it has lost its meaning. The people still elect their leaders every five years, but after that, their voices vanish. Why? Because our political system remains heavily influenced by a top-down and centralized mindsetâtwo forces that fundamentally contradict the spirit of democracy.
If all decisions come only from aboveâfrom party elites, from the center of powerâthen where is the space for the people to speak? True democracy cannot grow from the top down. It can only live if it grows from the bottom up.
Top-Down = Anti-Democracy
What happens when political parties become nothing more than extensions of power? When the central executive board decides everythingâfrom regional candidates to who sits in parliament? What emerges is no longer the voice of the people, but the voice of political masters. Everything becomes uniform, everyone obedient to a single direction. This is what causes our democracy to stallâand the people to lose hope.
We Need a Party That Defies the Current
Gema Bangsa was not born to join the long list of old parties that serve only their elites. We are here to reverse the tide. To reject centralism. To cultivate leadership from the ground up. To grow our cadres through processânot through connections
Democracy Is About Trust, Not Command
For too long, the people have been treated as mere instrumentsâcasting their votes, only to be forgotten afterward. As a result, public trust in political parties and parliament continues to plummet. Ironically, we persist in operating a system that perpetuates inequality. Leaders are elected, yet policy direction remains dictated by central elites.
Gema Bangsa is building a decentralized party structureâwhere regional boards (DPD, DPW, DPC) hold real power. Legislative and regional candidates are chosen not based on proximity to elites, but on their capacity, track record, and engagement with the community.
Back to the People, Back to Common Sense
In a podcast with Joko Kanigoro, I emphasized: the people donât need promisesâthey need a party that listens, nurtures grassroots leadership, and bases its decisions on deliberation, not unilateral commands.
When Gema Bangsa speaks of âbottom-up,â itâs not just a sloganâitâs our core philosophy. A healthy political party is not built from the top down, but woven from the voices of citizens, communities, and grassroots cadres.
Time to Take a Stand
This country is too vast to be ruled by a handful of people. Too diverse to be forced into uniformity. Itâs time we say it clearly: top-down and centralistic models are not the path of democracy. They are relics of the past that must be left behind.
Gema Bangsa stands as a new movement rejecting centralism. We believe that only by growing strength from below can democracy regain its meaningâand Indonesia be governed by those who truly represent its people.
