The Legislative Elections in Indonesia, April 2004

The elections held on 5 April were Indonesia's second free elections since Soeharto, its former military leader, was ousted in 1998. These elections were to be followed by the country's first ever direct presidential election on 5 July with possible run-offs in September. The first post-Soeharto election, in June 1999, paved the way for coalition politics, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the party of the incumbent President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, winning most of the vote. Most importantly, that election saw the first breach in the dominance of Golkar, the political organisation under Soeharto's regime. However, the public has grown increasingly disillusioned with Megawati's administration and support has shifted to newer parties.