The document discusses the upcoming presidential debates in Indonesia and notes that foreign policy is not one of the scheduled debate topics. It argues that foreign policy is an important issue that could shape domestic politics and should not be neglected. It provides examples of challenges in ASEAN, the Korean peninsula, China, India, and global issues that the next president will face. While foreign policy won't be debated, the author hopes candidates will address it in their campaigns.

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Debate sessions: How about foreign policy?
Danny Rahdiansyah , Rome | Fri, 06/19/2009 11:39 AM | Opinion
The General Elections Commission (KPU), together with the campaign teams of the three presidential candidates,
has agreed upon themes for the presidential and vice presidential debates.
These include a number of crucial topics, including good governance and the rule of law; national identity building;
poverty and unemployment eradication; promoting the quality of life; and last but not least, the unitary state of
Indonesia, democracy and regional autonomy.
Looking at the above themes makes me wonder whatever happened to foreign policy. Is it not a significant issue
worthy of discussion and debate at the highest level by the future leaders of Indonesia? Have we all forgotten that
we have the independent and active doctrine as the principles of our foreign policy?
When I discussed this with some friends, a colleague said, "I believe the Indonesian public in general does not
consider foreign policy as contentious as other *domestic* issues. In other words, the stakeholders of Indonesian
foreign policy have been quite successful in implementing foreign relations in the past five years." I hope he is
right. Not
Wh
Not
Another colleague apparently held a contradictory view. He said, "I am afraid Indonesia is going to get stuck with Not
her own domestic problems if the candidates neglect our international identity." I am afraid he is right.
Apart from the debate themes, whether the issue of foreign policy is included, we must all realize that foreign policy Mo
and domestic politics are two sides of the same coin. Thus foreign policy is too important to be neglected, or to be
put aside, or to become a subtopic of a larger theme; because it could shape the form of domestic politics and at U
d
the same project domestic interests to the international arena.
P
The presidential candidates, and whoever triumphs in the July election, will face great challenges in the foreign f
policy issue. M
N
ASEAN as Indonesia's closest regional surrounding is facing a huge test. The 14th ASEAN Summit in Thailand I
was forced to be postponed from its original schedule due to a large demonstration by the opposition. The f
remainder of the Summit will be concluded in the South Korea. To some people, it poses a question of the
centrality of ASEAN in the regional architecture.
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The Korean peninsula is another burning issue. After the North Korean government conducted a nuclear test on
May 25, US and South Korean warships roamed the waters adjacent to the disputed border. This situation Co
heightens the political and military tension to a very concerning level. The UN is struggling to come up with a
The
response to the alarming situation in the region.
China and India continue to play a more significant role and shift the balance of power toward Asia. In other
regions, like the Middle East and South Asia, a number of armed conflicts are still ongoing.
At the international level, a number of issues ranging from the global financial crisis and environmental issues
including climate change and food security, to the swine flu pandemic, have yet to become a common concern
here.
In light of the above, taking into consideration the current international context and to ensure the protection and
promotion of national interests, all presidential candidates should be able to define what we want as a nation and
Wor
to map the strengths and weaknesses as consideration in formulating foreign policy for the future.
Indonesian foreign policy should be geared as an action to project its values, agenda and interests abroad; from
the bilateral, regional and global levels. Indonesia must also be more involved in the shaping of international
contexts, including standards-setting and the codification of international law.
yet .
In short, Indonesian foreign policy should be implemented by positive positioning, and not only by reaction and
answer to external challenges (negative positioning). By doing so, Indonesia will be able to formulate the right
decision and continue to play its role as a bridge and consensus builder, using the soft-power approach.
Well now the debates will take place anyway. Foreign policy will not be a main theme in the debates. Nonetheless,
it is our hope the candidates will take this issue as a main agenda in their quest for the presidency. And as for my
two colleagues above, I think they are both right.
The writer has a master's degree in public policy from the University of Sydney, and currently resides in Rome,
Italy.
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