Abstract
Since Indonesia's return to democracy, only national parties with a cross-regional organisational basis have been allowed to contest elections. Local political parties are restricted from contesting even local elections, making Indonesia unique in the world of multiparty democracies. Despite widespread antipathy to local political parties in Indonesia, the peace agreement between the Government of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) paved the way for parties representing exclusively local interests to contest provincial legislative elections in Aceh in April 2009. In a major test for Indonesia?s democratic political system, the local party representing the former rebels secured an impressive victory in those elections. Based on a province-wide survey of voters in Aceh and in-depth interviews with local and national party leaders, this study examines the Aceh Party victory and its implications for Jakarta-Aceh relations. The study finds that, while the introduction of local political parties in Aceh represents a milestone for peace and democracy in Aceh, new policies are needed if local political parties are to be securely integrated into Indonesia?s broader political party system.
Original language | English |
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Place of Publication | Australia |
Commissioning body | Centre for Democratic Institutions |
Number of pages | 19 |
Publication status | Published - 2010 |