CIAO DATE: 11/2009
June 2005
In the summer of 2004, Indonesia held the country’s first direct presidential elections since the fall of long-time authoritarian President Soeharto in 1998. As such, these elections represent an important milestone in the consolidation of Indonesia’s democratization process. Indonesia followed an ambitious electoral timetable in 2004, starting with the legislative elections on April 5, followed by the first round of the presidential elections on July 5, and culminating in the election of the president on Sept. 20. The legislative elections and the two rounds of the presidential elections were the largest set of single-day elections in the world, with 70 percent of 155 million eligible voters going to the polls. The management of the elections posed logistical and administrative challenges that, on the whole, were adequately tackled by the authorities. As outlined below, The Carter Center observed a number of irregularities —many typical of transitional democracies — but, overall, voters were able to exercise their democratic rights in a peaceful atmosphere and without significant hindrance. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (also known by his acronym SBY) emerged as the clear winner of both rounds of the presidential elections, obtaining 61 percent of the popular vote in the runoff election against the incumbent, Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Resource link: The Carter Center 2004 Indonesia Elections [PDF] - 1.1M