Indonesia - 1999 - Democratic Transition

Few expected Indonesia’s democratic transition to occur as it did. President Suharto had been in office for 30 years and was widely considered an authoritarian leader. He had come to power after a bloody purge of alleged communists in 1965 and ‘66 that left hundreds of thousands of people dead. His regime, known as the “New Order,” suppressed political dissent while presiding over three decades of rapid economic growth. 

A surprise transition began in 1998, thanks largely to civil society protests responding to the Asian economic crisis that unfolded that year. Widespread public pressure forced Suharto to step down. His vice president, BJ Habibie, replaced him, and an opportunity emerged for a rapid democratic transition between 1998 and ‘99. This led to Indonesia’s first open and competitive elections in over four decades. 

The People’s Constitutive Assembly, composed of 700 Indonesian political leaders, military personnel, and select civilians, met in October of 1999 to elect the president and vice president for a five-year term. Four candidates narrowed to two by election day: Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Sukarnoputri. Wahid, a founder and leader of the Islam-based PKB (National Awakening Party), was elected president. Megawati, a leader of the center-left secular PDI-P (Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle) and daughter of former president Sukarno, was elected vice president. 

Although these offices were not voted on directly by the general public, top concerns of the parties and their supporters largely focused on Indonesia’s transition into a more open and democratic society with the fall of Suharto. These included the role of the military following human rights abuses under President Suharto, proportional representation for political parties, a more liberal economic plan in the era of globalization, press and civil society freedoms, economic and political corruption, the issue of independence efforts like East Timor, and policies around religion—particularly those concerning Indonesia’s overwhelmingly Muslim population. 

Eric Bjornlund, now President and CEO of Democracy International, served on the multinational team of experts that helped transition Indonesia into a more democratic political system while working at the National Democratic Institute. Here, he talks with Liza Prendergast, Vice President for Strategy and Technical Leadership at Democracy International. They discuss the origins of Indonesia’s surprise transition, its successes and shortcomings, and the lessons that can be learned from democratization in the world’s fourth most populous country.