Waging Peace: Indonesia

Monitoring Elections

1999 Elections

After 40 years of military-backed governments, Indonesia held its first genuinely democratic elections for the legislature in June 1999, a process monitored by The Carter Center. The vote for legislative seats was the first step in electing a new president after the May 1998 resignation of President Suharto, who led an authoritarian government for 32 years. While his ruling Golkar party won every election for nearly 20 years, 48 parties were approved for the 1999 ballot when his successor, interim President B.J. Habibie, agreed to hold open elections. The Center and the National Democratic Institute fielded a 100-member delegation led by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and concluded, along with other international election observer organizations, that the elections were credible and represented the will of the people.

Following the parliamentary vote, Abdurrahman Wahid was selected president in November 1999 by the 700-member People's Consultative Assembly, a body including the legislature and other specially represented regional, social, and demographic groups. In July 2001, however, less than two years into his term, President Wahid was removed from office and replaced by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri, following an extended clash with the national legislature regarding Wahid's alleged mismanagement and mishandling of state funds. Read full text >

Election Reports

View Carter Center election reports for Indonesia >