Publication

This paper contends that a conundrum lies at the heart of Indonesian politics. Successive governments have built one of the key foundations for a successful democracy: free, fair, and peaceful elections. However, Indonesian democracy is increasingly defective in other areas, such as human rights, the rule of law and the protection of minorities. The author also contends that incumbent President Joko Widodo is unlikely to make significant progress on much-needed economic, legal, and political reforms. Further, a bitter form of religion-based identity politics seems to be embedded in country’s political system. As a result, the hope for the country lies now with the next generation of politicians.