RI CAN SERVE AS ROLE MODEL FOR ISLAMIC DEMOCRACY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov. 10 (ANTARA) - As the world's largest country populated with Muslims, Indonesia with its population of about 240 million, has served as a role model for Islamic democracy since it embarked on democratic reforms in 1998. Indonesia is now promoting democracy not only at home but also overseas by initiating an annual global democracy forum at its tourist resort province of Bali.          Entitled the "Bali Democracy Forum" (BDF), the event, which was aiming to develop democratic values, has been held five times since 2008. The fifth BDF was held on Thursday and Friday, where delegates from 83 countries shared experiences and ideas on how to develop democracy.         "Every year, BDF must lead to a concrete outcome, which does not remain just on paper. Every year, we reaffirm our understanding of democracy through the exchange of ideas and democratic values of various countries," President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said during the inauguration of the event at the Bali International Convention Centre (BICC) on Thursday.