Indonesia's 2009 Elections: Populism, Dynasties and the Consolidation of the Party System

Abstract

This paper will analyse the reasons for PD’s electoral success and its implications for the future architecture of Indonesia’s party system. It will show that Thaksin-style cash hand-outs to the poor were the main reason for PD’s victory, potentially signalling the emergence of new electoral paradigms in Indonesia. In addition, the paper will discuss the prospects of established parties like Golkar and PDIP in the post-2009 party landscape. Focusing on the rise of new generations of leaders in these parties, this paper argues that most key parties are likely to remain fixtures in Indonesian politics, while the future of Yudhoyono’s PD is entirely dependent on the President’s performance in his (almost certain) second term.