The Impact of Obstacle to Civil Liberties on Declining Democracy Index in West Sumatra: Critical Discourse Comparison Study

The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported that Democracy Index of West Sumatra province has decreased significantly in 2016. This fact is quite an anomaly if it refers to the Minangkabau indigenous roots and philosophical foundations which is claimed to be compatible with universal democratic principles. The latest regional autonomy policy made the West Sumatra regional government be allowed to implement local policies which for decades was repressed by the central government. The gap in vision between the West Sumatra Provincial Government and the Central Government is widening with evidence number of cancellations proposed local regulation (Perda). Disputes between regional and central democratic discourse are recorded in the text of the mass media as research data. Afterward, this study aimed to conduct a comparative and critical discourse analysis by comparing between the central and regional discourse regarding the implementation of democratic activities. The ‘civil liberties’ aspect was decided as the focus of the problem and became a benchmark for democratic practices in this discussion. The result of data analysis indicates that the configuration of local and central government discourse regarding the enforcement and protection of civil liberties differs in application, ideas and goals. Thus, this antagonism widens the gap between democratic practices and ideals between regional and central governments.