Publication

This briefing describes the political challenges of the December 2006 local elections in Aceh. It examines the possibilities of how to ensure that the elections facilitate the transition of the former insurgency, the Free Aceh Movement (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, GAM) from an armed struggle to a political movement, thereby reinforcing its 15 August 2005 peace agreement with the Indonesian government. The briefing further outlines the rift that has emerged within the GAM leadership complicating the transition.