Indonesia has a long and complicated history of democratic development. Its parliamentary system has experienced many incarnations, with various constitutions and amendments that have affected how the legislature functions. Since the end of Suharto’s dictatorship, however, the country has displayed the positive aspects of a maturing democracy, including macroeconomic stability, a vibrant parliament, and progress on professional reform in the military and police forces.
The current president, Joko Widodo, won a widely praised direct election in 2014 and has pledged to continue the modernization that he initiated as governor of Jakarta. His challenger in the 2024 election, former Jakarta Governor Ganjar Pranowo of the PDI (Pakatan Dasar Indonesia) party, did not project a strong national image or a compelling vision for the future.
Despite some recent improvements, there are still concerns about the state of democracy in indonesia. These include the continued political dominance of wealthy elites, who can trace their fortunes back to the Suharto era; the oversized legislative coalitions required to govern in a multiparty presidential system, incentivizing legislators to collude rather than compete and diluting the effectiveness of a rump parliamentary opposition; high levels of official corruption; antipluralist and illiberal social forces; gross inequalities that produce marked differences in the quality of democracy across regions and social classes; electoral clientelism and vote buying that distort representation at all levels of government; and dynastic politics.
In addition to these issues, the judiciary remains weak. Judicial decisions can be influenced by religious considerations, and corruption in the courts has persisted. In some cases, the authorities have used force to suppress dissent. The human rights record in Indonesia is among the worst in Asia.
Lastly, the media remains constrained by the state, with journalists in Papua and West Papua facing particular challenges. They report harassment and intimidation, including death threats. In addition, the government has been using legal proceedings to restrict freedom of expression, particularly for journalists investigating cases related to organized crime and corruption.
Although Indonesia has a robust private sector, the government regulates and controls a large portion of the economy. This stifles innovation and competition, and has contributed to slow economic growth. Individuals enjoy some personal social freedoms, but the state controls property rights and women have poor access to marriage and divorce. They can also suffer from discrimination, including in education and employment.