Veto Player No More? The Declining Political Influence of the Military in Postauthoritarian Indonesia

This chapter analyzes the role of Indonesia's armed forces, the Tentara Nasional Indonesia (TNI), as a prominent “veto power” that can aggressively maintain the status quo and repress the country's attempts at democratization. Many scholars and policymakers have stressed that the Indonesian military still continues to exercise extensive control over Indonesian politics, even several years after former President Suharto's regime. In reality, the TNI possesses minimal power and influence over the country's legislature, save for a few key points throughout history. Additionally, the TNI have consented to the regime change in 1998, greatly contributing to the cause of democratic transition. The TNI, in short, continues to maintain its veto powers to this day, but their effects on Indonesian democracy have so far been minimal.