Elections 7 - Indonesia at Melbourne

Ahok's defeat bodes ill for the future

Anies Baswedan will be the next governor of Jakarta, following a bitterly fought campaign against Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama. Make no mistake, Professor Tim Lindsey writes, it was the mobilisation of racial and religious hatred achieved by his enemies that led to Ahok’s defeat in this election.

Will religion influence voters’ choices in the Jakarta election?

Analysis, Elections, Politics, Religion

Following the massive rallies against Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama over alleged blasphemy, one might assume that religion was the most important factor influencing the intended voting behaviour of Jakarta residents. But a study conducted by Nathanael Gratias Sumaktoyo demonstrates that it is not as dominant as the recent rallies suggest.

Indonesia at Melbourne: 2016 in review

Elections, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Law, Politics, Public health, Religion, Review

In our final post for 2016, we send off this rather depressing year by taking a look back at some of the expert commentary and analysis published on Indonesia at Melbourne. Thanks again for your loyal readership and support, and we look forward to seeing you again in mid-January.

Indonesia loses a champion of electoral reform

Elections

Husni Kamil Manik's leadership of the General Elections Commission (KPU) was marked by a commitment to openness and transparency, which played a critical role in securing the disputed 2014 presidential election result. Titi Anggraini reflects on his achievements following his sudden death on 7 July.

Talking Indonesia: vote buying

Elections, Talking Indonesia

Vote buying is widely held to be endemic in Indonesian politics but it has rarely been studied in detail. In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Dave McRae speaks to Professor Edward Aspinall, who with Indonesian colleagues has recently co-authored a paper on the mechanics of vote buying by electoral candidates in the 2014 legislative elections and the logic underpinning these candidates’ actions.

Local elections: the power of incumbency

Analysis, Elections, Politics

Indonesian voters will head to the ballot box on Wednesday to elect governors and mayors in nine provinces and 260 districts. Dr Dave McRae and Diane Zhang take a close look at past election results to examine the extent to which incumbency provides candidates with an edge.

Talking Indonesia: district and provincial elections

Analysis, Elections, Talking Indonesia

On 9 December, about half of Indonesia will return to the polls to elect 260 district leaders and nine governors. How important are these local elections? And will recent reforms aimed at improving their quality be effective? Dr Dave McRae explores these issues with Titi Anggraini, director of the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem).

Are Minangkabau women really not into politics?

Analysis, Elections, Political parties

The Minangkabau of West Sumatra are considered the world's largest matrilineal society. But despite the apparent high status of women in the province, there is just one woman among the 74 candidates for leadership positions in regional elections scheduled for 9 December. Minangkabau woman Dina Afrianty reports from West Sumatra.

The Constitutional Court: promoting corruption?

Corruption, Elections, Law

The former Indonesian deputy minister of justice and human rights, Denny Indrayana, writes on what the Constitutional Court got wrong in its recent decisions on regional elections and ex-convicts.

Posted in: Elections