Indonesian democracy looks impressive, especially when compared with the political turmoil and authoritarian resilience amongst its neighbors, a leading analyst suggests.

The country could serve as a new beacon of democracy in the region, Stanford University’s Larry Diamond told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the World Movement for Democracy’s 6^th assembly.

But corruption remains the principal threat to the integrity of the fledgling democracy’s institutions, said Diamond, head of Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law.

The Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK] is trying to develop momentum, Diamond noted, but change will be a long-term process, requiring a partnership between political actors and civil society.

“Indonesia needs to improve the rule of law, independence of the judiciary and establish an anticorruption body with far-reaching authority. There should also be public education on democracy, especially on the issue of obligations and rights,” he said. “Democracy can only be on track when political leaders and civil society continue the process.”

With U.S. President Barack Obama due to visit the country in June in a rescheduled trip, Indonesia may be about to shed its profile as the world’s most important and least known country.