It’s an exciting time in Indonesia as the country is gearing up for its third presidential election on July 9th. Everywhere you look, there are advertisements from the candidates, and everyone is talking about it in the papers and on TV. For those who may not be familiar with the political system in Indonesia, this election, or the candidates, here’s an introductory post to get you started:

Modern History of Indonesia’s Government

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0NciCv5DNs

Go through this short animated history of Indonesia first.

The history of Indonesia’s government is long and complicated. For understanding this upcoming election, it’s best to start from the country’s first president. Back in 1945, Indonesia declared independence from the Netherlands. A man named Sukarno became president, a position he held for 22 years. In 1957, he established a system known as “Guided Democracy” in Indonesia – whereby people vote but the government controls elections. His support for the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) at the expense of the military and Islamists eventually led to his overthrow. One of his generals, Suharto, took over and became the country’s second president. This ushered in Indonesia’s “New Order” period, and Suharto managed to remain in office for 31 years. The Asian financial crisis of the late 90’s mixed in with political tensions did not bode well for Suharto – he eventually resigned in 1998 after protests and riots broke out across the country. His vice president, Habibie, took over as president, but only held office for one year. In 1999, a man named Wahid became the first elected president of Indonesia. He was not elected by the people, however – both houses of Parliament decided this matter for the country. His reign didn’t last long, either, as he was impeached and replaced by Megawati – the first female president of the country. Interestingly enough, she is the daughter of Sukarno.

In 2004, the country held its first direct presidential election. Megawati hoped to become the first female elected as head of a majority Muslim state, but unfortunately this wasn’t meant to be. A former general, Yudhoyono, won the election decisively – 61% to her 39. In the 2009 election, Yudhoyono was challenged by not only a returning Megawati, but also by his own VP – Kalla. He managed to get over 60% of the vote again, though, ensuring a second and final term.

The Candidates

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLBOoerNfec

The Indonesian presidential candidates in 90 seconds.

The 2014 election in Indonesia is being contested between Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto. Let’s take a closer look at these men, one of whom will be leading Indonesia for at least the next five years:

Joko Widodo

More commonly known by his nickname, Jokowi, he previously served as the mayor of Surakarta (Solo) and is currently the governor of Jakarta. He was born in Solo in 1961, and he studied engineering at the Gadjah Mada University. After university, he worked as a furniture salesman, which lead many to believe he was unqualified for the job of mayor when he chose to run. However, he ended up winning and was very successful during his seven-year term as mayor of his hometown, enacting many progressive reforms and becoming very popular with the people. A major part of his appeal is his practice known as blusukan – making impromptu visits to local, often very poor communities. Although he has only been governor of Jakarta for two years, his popularity propelled him to run for the presidency. He’s a member of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), and his running mate is Jusuf Kalla.

Prabowo Subianto

Prabowo is definitely the establishment candidate in this election. Born in 1951, his father served under president Suharto, and Prabowo ended up marrying the former president’s daughter. His family lived in London for a few years, where he attended The American School. He returned to Indonesia and graduated from the Military Academy in 1970. He later served in the National Army Special Force Kopassus, becoming the youngest commander at age 26. A long career came to an end in 1998 when he was discharged for ordering the kidnapping of students. He then moved to the world of business, and his Nusantara Group now controls 27 companies in Indonesia and around the world. In 2004, he unsuccessfully ran for president, and in 2009 he ran with Megawati as her VP candidate, again unsuccessfully. He is a member of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), and his running mate is Hatta Rajasa.

The Election

Indonesians will cast their ballots soon (July 9th), and the race is coming down to the wire. Just a few months ago, Jokowi had what seemed like an insurmountable lead. However, the gap has narrowed to just a few points, as Prabowo has executed a more organized campaign and won support of key groups. The two candidates have engaged in five debates, and they have both traveled and campaigned extensively. This long campaign trail is finally coming to an end, and one man will take over as Indonesia’s next president in just a few days.

Learn a bit about the candidates and their first debate in this BBC video.

Further Reading

There’s a ton of content online about the upcoming election, but here are a few choice articles that you should check out before the big day:

• The Economist comes out and endorses Jokowi. Read more about it here.
• Read more about Prabowo and his comeback in this election in this article from the WSJ.
• For a comprehensive look at the election, candidates, and potential outcomes, read this piece from the Diplomat.
• There has been a lot of mud thrown in this campaign. Get the dirt in this article.

If you’re still confused, watch this great video from the FT.