Some people, primarily among the international community, question whether the 2019 Indonesian elections will be free and fair, void of voter irregularities and/or violence. But are these concerns well-grounded? Do we need to be worried? Shawn believes that these concerns are reasonable but unfounded. We take a look at Indonesia’s recent history in 1998 and appreciate how far the country has come in terms of its democratic elections. In addition, we will discuss whether the new shift to a concurrent election system will cause major disruptions during the election process itself.

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0.05 - 3.35

Concerns from the international community regarding the Indonesian election

Episodes Election

3.40 - 5.38

History of Indonesia’s democratic reform in 1998

Consequences of Soeharto’s downfall

Military's role in parliament

6.05 - 7.43

Four Presidents in four years

Democracy and instability

7.54 - 11.30

The return of a free and fair general election in 1999

Military withdrawal from parliament

Shift from centralized government to regional autonomy

11.45 - 14.57

Uncertainties after five years of instability

Some longing for the old days of Soeharto

14.58 - 15.25

Indonesia’s first directly-elected presidential, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

The first democratically-elected presidential transition in 2014

15.27 - 18.04

Putting Indonesia’s remarkable democratic progress into context

Response to the concerns of the 2019 election

18.25 - 21.33

Potential issues with the new simultaneous election

21.35 - 22.33

Closing

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Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita

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