Indonesian presidential election, 2009
Encyclopedia
Presidential elections were held in Indonesia
on 8 July 2009. The elections returned a president
and vice president
for the 2009–2014 period. A run-off election was scheduled to be held on 8 September if needed, but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
won more than 60% of the vote in the first round, which enabled him to secure reelection without a run-off. Yudhoyono was officially declared the victor of the election on 23 July 2009, by the General Election Commission.
and Vice President
directly
. In 2004, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
defeated incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri
in a run-off election. Polls through early January 2009 saw Yudhoyono leading a large field of potential presidential candidates.
Incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla
announced in February 2009 that he would not be returning as a vice presidential candidate with Yudhoyono. Instead, he was ready to challenge Yudhoyono should Golkar
, the party which he chaired, nominate him as a presidential candidate. Other individuals interested in becoming presidential candidates included former President Abdurrahman Wahid
, former People's Representative Council
Speaker Akbar Tanjung
, Yogyakarta Sultan
Hamengkubuwana X, and former Jakarta
Governor Sutiyoso
.
On 17 February, the Constitutional Court ruled that independent candidates would not be allowed to run in the election.
, coalitions of political parties began to emerge in order to nominate candidates for President and Vice President. Under the 2008 Presidential Election Law, the candidates must be nominated by a party or coalition that won at least 25% of the popular vote or 112 (20%) of 560 seats of the People's Representative Council
. Indonesia's Constitutional Court
also ruled that independent candidates would not be allowed to run. Candidates had to officially register with the General Election Commission by midnight of 16 May in order to appear on the ballots.
It initially appeared that Golkar
, the party of incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla, would enter into a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI–P) of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri to challenge President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party
. However, talks were broken off on 13 April 2009, with Golkar reportedly more interested in continuing the coalition with Yudhoyono rather than risk being cut off from power completely. Yudhoyono was also in talks with Islamist parties in a bid to form a coalition controlling more than half the seats in parliament.
By late April 2009, Golkar was in talks with smaller parties to gain the votes it lacked to be able to nominate Kalla as a presidential candidate. A ten-party coalition was formed on 1 May, consisting of Golkar, PDI–P, the Great Indonesia Movement Party
(Gerindra), the People's Conscience Party
(Hanura), the Prosperous Peace Party
(PDS), the Reform Star Party
(PBR), the Ulema National Awakening Party
(PKNU), the National People's Concern Party
(PPRN), the Labor Party
and the Indonesian Nahdlatul Community Party
(PPNUI). Two parties who had been considering joining the coalition, the National Mandate Party
(PAN) and the United Development Party
(PPP), in the end decided not to join. Shortly after the ten-party coalition was announced, incumbent Vice President Kalla announced a joint ticket with former Indonesian military
leader Wiranto
.
The PDI–P selected former president Megawati as its presidential candidate on 7 May but did not immediately announce a running mate. The possibility of Gerindra leader Prabowo Subianto becoming Megawati's running mate had been favored by PDI–P leadership, but the two parties had yet to come to an agreement two days before the 16 May candidate registration deadline. After plans to announce the pair's candidacy were postponed to allow for continuing negotiations, both parties eventually declared on 15 May the nomination of Megawati and Prabowo as candidates for president and vice president.
In the scenario that either Kalla or Megawati would have lost his or her bid for the presidency in the first election round, one candidate would have supported the other in the second round, as agreed upon by the grand coalition formed to oppose incumbent President Yudhoyono.
On 12 May 2009, Yudhoyono chose Boediono
, the governor of Bank Indonesia
(Indonesia's central bank
), as his running mate. Four parties which had planned to form a coalition with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (PAN, PPP, the National Awakening Party
(PKB), and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)) had expected that the vice presidential nominee would come from one of their parties. Although they threatened to form their own coalition with Gerindra and present their own candidate, PKB became the first party in the coalition to support Yudhoyono's decision. The remaining three parties eventually agreed to support the Yudhoyono–Boediono ticket and attended the nomination ceremony in Bandung
on 15 May.
on 16 May. Candidates underwent physical
and psychological evaluation
s at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital following registration. Personality test
s were also conducted using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
.
and Prabowo Subianto is referred to colloquially by the Indonesian media as Mega–Pro. These two candidates belong to opposing ideological backgrounds
. Prabowo's father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was a political enemy of Megawati's father, former President Sukarno
.
and Boediono
was referred to colloquially
by the Indonesian media as SBY Berbudi. Three days after the slogan was announced, the campaign team had changed its name to SBY–Boediono due to concerns that the term berbudi was not as well known outside Java
.
and Wiranto
is referred to colloquially by the Indonesian media as JK–Win.
The presidential election campaign began on 2 June and ran until 4 July, with mass rallies allowed from 12 June onwards. Those participating in the campaign, were not allowed to question the basis of the Indonesian state, insult the race or religion of candidates, use threats or violence or give financial or material incentives to voters. There were a series of debates between 18 June and 2 July that were carried live on Indonesian television, three between the presidential candidates and two between the vice-presidential candidates. The topics for these two-hour debates were agreed in advance, and by common consent, did not explicitly include human rights issues.
After a two-day "silent period", voting took place on 8 July. National election results are due to be announced between 27 and 29 July. Following a period to allow for legal challenges, the final results will be announced between 1 and 12 August. If the election goes to a second round, the second campaign period will run from 15 July – 7 September, with the vote on 8 September. The final result is due to be announced on 8 October, with the president and vice-president being sworn in by the head of the Supreme Court on 20 October.
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
on 8 July 2009. The elections returned a president
President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...
and vice president
Vice President of Indonesia
The Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia is the first in the line of succession in the Republic of Indonesia.-History of the office:The Indonesian Vice Presidency was established during the formulation of the 1945 constitution by the Researching Body for the Preparation of the Indonesian...
for the 2009–2014 period. A run-off election was scheduled to be held on 8 September if needed, but President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
won more than 60% of the vote in the first round, which enabled him to secure reelection without a run-off. Yudhoyono was officially declared the victor of the election on 23 July 2009, by the General Election Commission.
Background
This was the second election in which Indonesians elected their PresidentPresident of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...
and Vice President
Vice President of Indonesia
The Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia is the first in the line of succession in the Republic of Indonesia.-History of the office:The Indonesian Vice Presidency was established during the formulation of the 1945 constitution by the Researching Body for the Preparation of the Indonesian...
directly
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
. In 2004, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
defeated incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri
Megawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....
in a run-off election. Polls through early January 2009 saw Yudhoyono leading a large field of potential presidential candidates.
Incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla
Jusuf Kalla
is an Indonesian politician who was the 10th Vice President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2009 and Chairman of the Golkar Party during the same period. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2009 presidential election.-Early life:...
announced in February 2009 that he would not be returning as a vice presidential candidate with Yudhoyono. Instead, he was ready to challenge Yudhoyono should Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...
, the party which he chaired, nominate him as a presidential candidate. Other individuals interested in becoming presidential candidates included former President Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, born Abdurrahman Addakhil , colloquially known as , was an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001...
, former People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....
Speaker Akbar Tanjung
Akbar Tanjung
Akbar Tanjung is an Indonesian politician who is a former chairman of Golkar party. He was the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1999 to 2004...
, Yogyakarta Sultan
Yogyakarta Sultanate
Yogyakarta Sultanate is a Javanese monarchy in the province of Yogyakarta, Indonesia.-History:...
Hamengkubuwana X, and former Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
Governor Sutiyoso
Sutiyoso
Sutiyoso is an Indonesian politician and former general. Known informally as 'Bang Yos', he was the governor of Jakarta, the country's capital, during a turbulent period from 1997 to 7 October 2007. During this time there was a total of five presidents in Indonesia...
.
On 17 February, the Constitutional Court ruled that independent candidates would not be allowed to run in the election.
Coalition talks
Following legislative elections held on 9 AprilIndonesian legislative election, 2009
Legislative elections were held in Indonesia on 9 April 2009 for 132 seats of the Regional Representative Council and 560 seats of the People's Representative Council . A total of 38 parties met the requirements to be allowed to participate in the national elections, with a further six contesting...
, coalitions of political parties began to emerge in order to nominate candidates for President and Vice President. Under the 2008 Presidential Election Law, the candidates must be nominated by a party or coalition that won at least 25% of the popular vote or 112 (20%) of 560 seats of the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....
. Indonesia's Constitutional Court
Constitutional Court of Indonesia
The Constitutional Court of Indonesia was established as a consequence of the third amendment to the Constitution of Indonesia, which was ratified by the People's Consultative Assembly on 9 November 2001 -History:...
also ruled that independent candidates would not be allowed to run. Candidates had to officially register with the General Election Commission by midnight of 16 May in order to appear on the ballots.
It initially appeared that Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...
, the party of incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla, would enter into a coalition with the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI–P) of former president Megawati Sukarnoputri to challenge President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...
. However, talks were broken off on 13 April 2009, with Golkar reportedly more interested in continuing the coalition with Yudhoyono rather than risk being cut off from power completely. Yudhoyono was also in talks with Islamist parties in a bid to form a coalition controlling more than half the seats in parliament.
By late April 2009, Golkar was in talks with smaller parties to gain the votes it lacked to be able to nominate Kalla as a presidential candidate. A ten-party coalition was formed on 1 May, consisting of Golkar, PDI–P, the Great Indonesia Movement Party
Great Indonesia Movement Party
The Great Indonesia Movement Party is a political party in Indonesia. The party has nominated former Indonesian special forces commander Prabowo Subianto as its presidential candidate....
(Gerindra), the People's Conscience Party
People's Conscience Party
The People's Conscience Party is a political party in Indonesia. It was established following a meeting in Jakarta on 13–14 December 2006 and is headed by and former Indonesian Military commander Wiranto, who has been indicted for war crimes....
(Hanura), the Prosperous Peace Party
Prosperous Peace Party
The Prosperous Peace Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Indonesia. It portrays itself as the reincarnation of Parkindo, the Indonesian Christian Party, which contested the 1955 and 1971 elections...
(PDS), the Reform Star Party
Reform Star Party
- Background :The party began as a movement within the United Development Party to depose Vice-president Hamzah Haz from the chairmanship, which he held for the 1998-2003 term, as it was felt he would not have time to run the party and hold the vice-presidency. The movement's leader was Zainuddin...
(PBR), the Ulema National Awakening Party
Ulema National Awakening Party
The Ulema National Awakening Party is a political party in Indonesia. It contested the 2009 elections, but won only 1.5 percent of the vote, less than the 2.5 percent electoral threshold, meaning it was awarded no seats in the People's Representative Council....
(PKNU), the National People's Concern Party
National People's Concern Party
The National People's Concern Party is a political party in Indonesia. It is headed by Amelia Achmad Yani, daughter of Indonesian national hero General Ahmad Yani...
(PPRN), the Labor Party
Labor Party (Indonesia)
The Labor Party is a political party in Indonesia. It has its origins in the Indonesian Prosperous Laborers organization , which in 1993 threw its support behind the Indonesian Democratic Party as a vehicle for its political aspirations...
and the Indonesian Nahdlatul Community Party
Indonesian Nahdlatul Community Party
The Indonesian Nahdlatul Community Party is a political party in Indonesia.It was originally established on 16 August 1998 as the Nahdatul Ummat Party and took part in the 1999 legislative election, winning 5 seats in the People's Representative Council. However, Law No...
(PPNUI). Two parties who had been considering joining the coalition, the National Mandate Party
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party is a moderate Islamist political party in Indonesia. It was founded by reformists, including Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian reformation...
(PAN) and the United Development Party
United Development Party
The United Development Party , sometimes translated as Development Unity Party is a political party in Indonesia. It is an islamic party and currently led by Suryadharma Ali.-Origins:...
(PPP), in the end decided not to join. Shortly after the ten-party coalition was announced, incumbent Vice President Kalla announced a joint ticket with former Indonesian military
Military of Indonesia
The Indonesian National Armed Forces in 2009 comprises approximately 432,129 personnel including the Army , Navy including the Indonesian Marine Corps and the Air Force ....
leader Wiranto
Wiranto
Wiranto is a retired Indonesian army General. He was Commander of the military of Indonesia from February 1998 to October 1999, and ran unsuccessfully for President of Indonesia in 2004 and the vice-presidency in 2009....
.
The PDI–P selected former president Megawati as its presidential candidate on 7 May but did not immediately announce a running mate. The possibility of Gerindra leader Prabowo Subianto becoming Megawati's running mate had been favored by PDI–P leadership, but the two parties had yet to come to an agreement two days before the 16 May candidate registration deadline. After plans to announce the pair's candidacy were postponed to allow for continuing negotiations, both parties eventually declared on 15 May the nomination of Megawati and Prabowo as candidates for president and vice president.
In the scenario that either Kalla or Megawati would have lost his or her bid for the presidency in the first election round, one candidate would have supported the other in the second round, as agreed upon by the grand coalition formed to oppose incumbent President Yudhoyono.
On 12 May 2009, Yudhoyono chose Boediono
Boediono
Boediono is the Vice President of Indonesia, after winning the 2009 presidential election together with incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.-Education:Boediono received his early education in primary school in Blitar, East Java...
, the governor of Bank Indonesia
Bank Indonesia
Bank Indonesia is the central bank of The Republic of Indonesia. Bank Indonesia is currently governed by Darmin Nasution, former interim governor. The last governor before the interim phase, Boediono, resigned due to his vice presidential candidacy in the Indonesian presidential election...
(Indonesia's central bank
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is a public institution that usually issues the currency, regulates the money supply, and controls the interest rates in a country. Central banks often also oversee the commercial banking system of their respective countries...
), as his running mate. Four parties which had planned to form a coalition with Yudhoyono's Democratic Party (PAN, PPP, the National Awakening Party
National Awakening Party
-Origins:The story of PKB establishment began in May 11, 1998 when the elders Kyai held a meeting at Pesantren Langitan. They discussed the latest situation that demands changes to save Indonesian nation from destruction. As a result Kyai make an official letter to Pak Harto requested he fell or...
(PKB), and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)) had expected that the vice presidential nominee would come from one of their parties. Although they threatened to form their own coalition with Gerindra and present their own candidate, PKB became the first party in the coalition to support Yudhoyono's decision. The remaining three parties eventually agreed to support the Yudhoyono–Boediono ticket and attended the nomination ceremony in Bandung
Bandung
Bandung is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area in Indonesia, with a population of 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 metres above sea level, approximately 140 km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung has cooler...
on 15 May.
Candidates
Nominees for president and vice president registered their candidacy at the central General Election Commission office in JakartaJakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
on 16 May. Candidates underwent physical
Physical examination
Physical examination or clinical examination is the process by which a doctor investigates the body of a patient for signs of disease. It generally follows the taking of the medical history — an account of the symptoms as experienced by the patient...
and psychological evaluation
Psychological evaluation
A psychological evaluation or mental examination is an examination into a person's mental health by a mental health professional such as a psychologist. A psychological evaluation may result in a diagnosis of a mental illness...
s at Gatot Subroto Army Hospital following registration. Personality test
Personality test
-Overview:There are many different types of personality tests. The most common type, the self-report inventory, involves the administration of many questions, or "items", to test-takers who respond by rating the degree to which each item reflects their behavior...
s were also conducted using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory is one of the most frequently used personality tests in mental health. The test is used by trained professionals to assist in identifying personality structure and psychopathology....
.
Megawati Sukarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto
The pair of Megawati SukarnoputriMegawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....
and Prabowo Subianto is referred to colloquially by the Indonesian media as Mega–Pro. These two candidates belong to opposing ideological backgrounds
Ideology
An ideology is a set of ideas that constitutes one's goals, expectations, and actions. An ideology can be thought of as a comprehensive vision, as a way of looking at things , as in common sense and several philosophical tendencies , or a set of ideas proposed by the dominant class of a society to...
. Prabowo's father, Sumitro Djojohadikusumo, was a political enemy of Megawati's father, former President Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono
Initially, the pair of Susilo Bambang YudhoyonoSusilo Bambang Yudhoyono
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono AC , is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004....
and Boediono
Boediono
Boediono is the Vice President of Indonesia, after winning the 2009 presidential election together with incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.-Education:Boediono received his early education in primary school in Blitar, East Java...
was referred to colloquially
Colloquialism
A colloquialism is a word or phrase that is common in everyday, unconstrained conversation rather than in formal speech, academic writing, or paralinguistics. Dictionaries often display colloquial words and phrases with the abbreviation colloq. as an identifier...
by the Indonesian media as SBY Berbudi. Three days after the slogan was announced, the campaign team had changed its name to SBY–Boediono due to concerns that the term berbudi was not as well known outside Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
.
Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto
The pair of Jusuf KallaJusuf Kalla
is an Indonesian politician who was the 10th Vice President of Indonesia from 2004 to 2009 and Chairman of the Golkar Party during the same period. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the 2009 presidential election.-Early life:...
and Wiranto
Wiranto
Wiranto is a retired Indonesian army General. He was Commander of the military of Indonesia from February 1998 to October 1999, and ran unsuccessfully for President of Indonesia in 2004 and the vice-presidency in 2009....
is referred to colloquially by the Indonesian media as JK–Win.
Schedule
Candidates had to register from 10–16 May, with medical checks, which they all passed, from 11–15 May. The candidates were officially announced on 28 May and drew their ballot numbers at the General Election Commission building on 31 May. Megawati–Prabowo drew number 1, SBY–Boediono number 2 and Kalla–Wiranto number 3.The presidential election campaign began on 2 June and ran until 4 July, with mass rallies allowed from 12 June onwards. Those participating in the campaign, were not allowed to question the basis of the Indonesian state, insult the race or religion of candidates, use threats or violence or give financial or material incentives to voters. There were a series of debates between 18 June and 2 July that were carried live on Indonesian television, three between the presidential candidates and two between the vice-presidential candidates. The topics for these two-hour debates were agreed in advance, and by common consent, did not explicitly include human rights issues.
After a two-day "silent period", voting took place on 8 July. National election results are due to be announced between 27 and 29 July. Following a period to allow for legal challenges, the final results will be announced between 1 and 12 August. If the election goes to a second round, the second campaign period will run from 15 July – 7 September, with the vote on 8 September. The final result is due to be announced on 8 October, with the president and vice-president being sworn in by the head of the Supreme Court on 20 October.
Quick count results
| Organization | Megawati – Prabowo | SBY – Boediono | Jusuf Kalla – Wiranto |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cirus Surveyor Group | 27.49% | 60.20% | 12.31% |
| Indonesian Survey Circle | 27.36% | 60.15% | 12.49% |
| Indonesian Survey Institute | 26.56% | 60.85% | 12.59% |
| Information Research Institute | 27.02% | 61.11% | 11.87% |
| LP3ES | 27.40% | 60.28% | 12.32% |
| Metro TV | 27.45% | 59.18% | 13.37% |
| Puskaptis | 28.16% | 57.95% | 13.89% |
| Source: The Jakarta Post, Metro TV, detikcom | |||