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Sultan Declares Yogyakarta as "City of Republic"

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE

Sultan Hamengkubuwono X on Tuesday declared Yogyakarta as "City of the Republic" to mark the 65th anniversary of the moving of the Indonesian capital from Jakarta to the city on January 4, 1946. In a short speech to thousands of people who just finished conducting a cultural long march ahead of the declaration he said, "I as the governor of Yogyakarta special region will issue a decree that will oblige people to commemorate January 4 as Yogyakarta`s anniversary as the City of the Republic."

On the occasion, the Sultan also called on all the people to support the move as a power for continuously developing a sense of togetherness and contributing to the future of the region as part of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. The Sultan hoped that with the declaration, Yogyakarta would remain open to all cultures in the country where modernization may stand harmoniously side by side with local traditions.

The march coordinator, Widihasto, said the declaration has a lot of significance among others for safeguarding national patriotic values and confirm the political stance of the people of Yogyakarta based upon the September 5, 1949 mandate.

Sultanate’s decision

According to Syafuan Rozi Soebhan, a public policy analyst of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), after the Indonesian Proclamation on 17 August 1945, Yogyakarta practically could be a sovereign state from Indonesia. However, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono IX and Sri Paku Alam VIII decided to merge into the Republic of Indonesia by their Decree of September 5, 1945 to protect and preserve national symbols of the initial period of Indonesia’s independence.

The decision to become a part of Indonesia was the philosophical reflection of theKesultanan, Pakualaman and Yogyakartans that glorify the Bhineka (diversity) in Ika (Unity), The special status of Yogyakarta is one of the integral parts of the foundation of Indonesia, Syafuan said in an interview this week.

The government, back in 1945, with its September 6, 1945 Position Charter merged Yogyakarta as the integral part of Indonesia with Parardhya (Kesultanan and Pakualaman) as the rulers within its special status. Sri Sultan and Paku Alam have been considered by Yogyakartans as the Parardhya, the keepers of micro and macrocosmos realm of Yogyakarta.

However, the absolute monarchy government system of Yogyakarta has been transformed into a constitutional monarchy or particular monarchy in which the authority is limited by the Constitution. Arguments about the special position of the ruler are natural as Yogyakarta is an old society in a new democratic state.

A war of logic between a universal democracy and particular democracy or cultural relativism might occur in such a state. Fear and anxiety toward the king could emerge as some people might worry about the performance of the king whether he could govern and rule the region well. Therefore, a political competition for the governor’s post might be necessary to be held for the special region but the king remains to have special status in it.

Democracy accepts diversity

"Democracy has not only universal elements but also cultural relativism, particularism and local uniqueness. In fact, the core value of democracy accepted diversity of the system not uniformity." Syafuan said. Democracy upheld fraternity, tolerance, anti-violence, egalitarian dialogue, and the most essential ones were people’s sovereignty and welfare, Syafuan said. If Yogyakarta could uphold such elements, it could be said that Yogyakarta had run a democracy, a particular democracy.

Many scenarios emerge if the central government finally approves the proposed bill on Yogyakarta’s special status, whereas, the Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat and its loyal citizens want the elites in Jakarta to appreciate their position and existence in the special region. If a gubernatorial election is held in the region, on D-day, there might be an omission or negligence by hamlet or village chiefs and traditional leaders in Yogyakarta for the election leading to failure and not legitimate election. Or the worst, a protest or unrest might occur.

The government proposed bill should regulate in detail the rights and obligations of the Parardhya in preserving Yogyakarta’s legacy and Javanese tradition. It should also uphold the tradition to preserve Yogyakarta’s traditions such as how to treat Mount Merapi and the South Sea, customary land, public forests, and squares, Syafuan said.

Moreover, the tourism of Yogyakarta based on kinship and social ties should be maintained in contrast to massive investment by foreign investors with their multinational businesses which could deprive the rights of the Yogyakartans. This is why the Parardhya is needed to preserve the special status of Yogyakarta within the diversity of the country.

Yogyakarta as a constitutional monarchy within Nusantara would act as guardian, keeper, and also sentinel for the preservation of monarchies in Indonesia, such as Kesultanan Ternate, Tidore, Jailolo, Bacan-Makian, Palembang, Kutai-Kartanegara, Deli, Banjar, Sumedang, Cirebon, Banten, etc.

Political playoff for Yogyakarta’s governor posts

Meanwhile, the political play offs for the posts of governor of Yogyakarta with its bureaucracy has been held in the House of Representatives by particular political elites to pave the way for the common people to rule Yogyakarta, instead of its Sultan, through a government’s proposed bill on Yogyakarta’s special status.

Syafuan said the proposed bill should be reviewed objectively, and wisely with regard to the majority not to a particular party to avoid political maneuvers and economic motives from certain people and foreigners. The interest of international economy and political public might have a wide open path, that is filtered and restricted by the recent government, to infiltrate in Yogyakarta if the proposed bill is approved making the government system in Yogyakarta a subject to change.

The government’s proposed bill allows those who want to run for the Yogyakartan governor to compete with Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Paku Alam IX in a gubernatorial election. "However, if Sultan and Paku Alam could maintain their good reputation and nobility, they would win the vote from the majority of the Yoyakartans. And the majority of Yogyakartans are likely to follow Sultan and Paku Alam, I reckon," Syafuan said.

The thing is though according to Syafuan there might be a scenario to eliminate and substitute the governt of Sri Sultan and Paku Alam as the governors of Yogyakarta on a behalf of arguments on checks and balances of the government system. The main reason for this argument is that the Parardhya (Sri Sultan and Paku Alam) are elites that could not be supervised by the parliament (DPRD), as they have unequal position, and it is not in accordance with the definition of democracy according to some parties.

If the governors and the provincial parliament could not behave impartially, the solution, according to some people, was by having Sri Sultan and Paku Alam as symbolic leaders to unite the region whereas the governance would be run by a ’prime governor’ that could be elected by the parliament or by a regional election.

However, this scenario would be rejected by the majority of Yogyakartans with regard to Yogyakarta’s special status, history and local wisdom. The substantial matter which shouldn’t be neglected of the government’s proposed bill is how the bill escort Sri Sultan and Paku Alam as the Yogyakartan elites to rule and govern Yogyakarta and its culture, politic and region in the future.

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