Indonesia’s Party Cartel System and the New ‘People’s Movement Party’
Max Lane
There’s potentially a new party in town, if it’s not nipped in the bud before the next elections in Indonesia.

Max Lane
There’s potentially a new party in town, if it’s not nipped in the bud before the next elections in Indonesia.
Burhanuddin Muhtadi
While the Prabowo Subianto government and its coalition partners in parliament have temporarily shelved their plans to abolish direct local elections due to public discontent, this years-long initiative is not dead.
Nuurrianti Jalli|Ika Ningtyas|Yearry Panji Setianto
Through TikTok, Prabowo Subianto successfully rebranded himself from being a controversial figure to being a relatable leader. TikTok’s emphasis on short-form entertaining content simplifies complex political issues into meme-worthy visuals. While this encourages engagement from younger audiences, it risks trivialising critical political discussions and reducing voters’ decision-making into emotional reactions.
Burhanuddin Muhtadi
While it is early days yet, might West Java’s highly popular new governor feature in Indonesia’s next presidential race?
Syafiq Hasyim
Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation missed out on the most significant ministerial portfolio – religious affairs – despite supporting presidential candidate Prabowo. What now?
Ady Muzwardi|Siwage Dharma Negara
A controversial eco-city project, welfare issues, and a political rift in the ranks of the challenger helped the incumbent come out on top.
Rendy Pahrun Wadipalapa
The background manoeuvring by various parties in Jakarta’s 2024 gubernatorial elections foreshadows similarly complex play with 2029’s presidential race in mind. For some players, today’s loss might be tomorrow’s gain.
Julia Lau|Maria Monica Wihardja
A nationwide poll conducted during the 2024 Indonesian presidential election campaign period shows that swing voters shifted their voting preferences as the election campaigning proceeded, due to their changing perceptions of candidates’ personalities and policy platforms.
Kennedy Muslim|Burhanuddin Muhtadi
Indonesia’s new president might have squandered an opportunity to start with a lean, efficient Cabinet instead of appeasing supporters and partners to form the largest Cabinet since Sukarno.
Ian Wilson
Recent student-led demonstrations throughout Indonesia show that popular support for democracy remains high. This support is not necessarily shared, however, by political parties who are collaborating in an increasingly cartel-like fashion to shrink electoral competition.