Indonesia in 2008: Yudhoyono's a struggle for reelection

Asian Survey

Volumn 49, Issue 1, 2009, Pages 146-155

  Mietzner, Marcus ^a  

^a AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

Author keywords

Corruption; Economy; Elections; Foreign policy; Indonesia

Indexed keywords

CORRUPTION; ELECTION; FOREIGN POLICY; GOVERNANCE APPROACH; PARTY POLITICS; POLITICAL POWER; STATE ROLE;

ASIA; EURASIA; INDONESIA; SOUTHEAST ASIA;

EID: 62149150600     PISSN: 00044687     EISSN: 1533838X     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1525/as.2009.49.1.146     Document Type: Article

References (24)

1. "Popularitas Megawati Mulai Ungguli Yudhoyono" [Megawati's popularity begins to overtake Yudhoyono], Sinar Harapan, August 5, 2008.
2. Interview with a senior PDI-P offi cial, Jakarta, June 2008.
3. See, for instance, "SBY Reclaims Popularity as Megawati Falls Behind: Survey," Jakarta Post, October 20, 2008.
4. Lingkaran Survei Indonesia (Indonesian Survey Circle), "Reformasi Setelah 10 Tahun" [Reform after 10 years], Jakarta, May 2008, p. 6.
5. Mallarangeng withdrew his candidacy in November 2008 after Bakrie's companies suffered severe losses in the rapidly spreading global financial crisis. Other candidates were affected by the decline of the stock markets as well, but they did not immediately review the status of their campaigns.
6. "Yudhoyono's Courage and Cowardice," Economist, June 18, 2008.
7. "Tak Ada Intervensi Politik Pada KPK" [There is no political intervention in the KPK], Kompas, April 19, 2008.
8. "Megawati Pusing Menghadapi Urusan Negara" [Megawati has headaches when confronting state affairs], ibid., September 18, 2003.
9. Kornelius Purba, "Hello! Is Somebody There to Wake up the President?" Jakarta Post, April 15, 2008.
10. "RI Economy Expands 6.4 Percent in Q2," ibid., August 14, 2008.
11. I am indebted to Ross McLeod from the Australian National University for providing this data. See also Ross McLeod, "Survey of Recent Developments," Bulletin of Indonesian Economic Studies 44:2 (August 2008), pp. 183-208.
12. Cyrillus Harinowo, "Economic Growth: The Rise of the Indonesian Middle Class," Jakarta Post, September 16, 2008. The following data on per capita income are also taken from this article.
13. "President's Speech Likened to Campaign," ibid., August 16, 2008.
14. "Number of Poor Falls by 2.21m, Says Statistics Body," ibid., July 2, 2008. Indonesia's unemployment fi gures have always been unreliable because of the large informal sector and the absence of government institutions that provide services to the unemployed.
15. "Hasil Survei, Peluang Megawati Menguat" [Poll results: Megawati's chances getting stronger], Harian Sore, August 8, 2008.
16. "Indonesia's Inflation Accelerates More Than Expected on Food," Jakarta Post, August 27, 2008.
17. Yudhoyono had been reluctant to cut the subsidies, fearing that the rise in transportation costs could undermine his reelection chances. But as pressure on the state budget mounted, his economic advisers convinced him that he had no other option. Interview with a presidential advisor, Jakarta, June 2008.
18. "Indonesia's Inflation Accelerates More Than Expected on Food."
19. "Pembangunan Kurang Akomodasi Kepentingan Rakyat" [Development does not sufficiently accommodate the people's interests], Antara News, August 7, 2008.
20. "RI Backs Revised UN Resolution against Iran's Nuclear Program," Jakarta Post, September 29, 2008.
21. For some of the criticisms of the charter, see Berry Desker, "Where the ASEAN Charter Comes up Short," Straits Times, July 18, 2008.
22. "Govt 'Not Party' to Peace Talks," Bangkok Post, September 22, 2008.
23. In their assessment of Indonesian foreign policy, Andrew McIntyre and Douglas Ramage have expressed a different view. According to their analysis, "Indonesia has shown new international confi dence and activism." However, they also concede that "it would be too generous to describe Indonesia's new posture as 'deeply considered' or 'strategic'." See Andrew McIntyre and Douglas Ramage, "Seeing Indonesia as a Normal Country: Implications for Australia," Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI Strategy Paper, Canberra, May 2008, pp. 39-40.
24. "Yudhoyono 'Taken in by Blue Energy Hoax'," Straits Times, May 31, 2008.