On 17 April 2019, Indonesia will hold simultaneous elections for the presidency, legislatures at the national, provincial and district levels, and also the Regional Representative Council (DPD).

These will be the most complex elections in the nation’s history. It will be the first time that presidential and legislative elections are held at the same time and the likely impact of parallel campaigning is much debated among scholars. Similarly, the role of social media, the use of religious and ethnic sentiment, as well as economic growth and inequality, are likely to feature prominently in the long campaign.

In this seminar, two pivotal officials in organising and monitoring the elections, as well as a leading observer and advisor on electoral developments in Indonesia, will present on the preparations for the elections, the electoral challenges ahead, and the country’s regulatory reforms.

The panel will comprise:

Adhy Aman Senior Program Manager International, IDEA

Topic: Diverging political trends affecting voter choice in the build-up to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections in Indonesia

Hasyim Asyari Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) Commissioner

Topic: The role of the Indonesian Elections Commission

Fritz Siregar Bawaslu (Indonesian Electoral Supervisory Body)

Topic: The important role of Bawaslu in supervising Indonesia’s elections

This is a joint seminar between ANU Indonesia Project and the Department of Political and Social Change.

Image by Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.