ABSTRACT

The 2018/2019 Indonesian elections were among the most divisive elections in Indonesian history, where identity politics and ethno-religious sentiments were prevalent not just during the 2019 presidential election, but also during the 2018 regional executive elections as well. Contributors to this edited volume analysed the dynamics between identity politics, national and local politics and produce findings and insights that will inform prospective readers regarding the future of identity politics and how it may affect Indonesian politics for the intermediate future.

This book is an up-to-date study addressing contemporary Indonesian politics that should be read by Indonesian Studies and more broadly Southeast Asian Studies specialists. It is also a useful reference for those studying Electoral Politics, Religion and Politics, and Comparative Politics.

chapter 1|16 pages

Introduction

The 2018 and 2019 Indonesian elections – identity politics and regional perspectives

chapter 2|17 pages

Indonesia’s 2019 presidential election

Does policy still matter?

chapter 5|15 pages

Aliran politics, political jihad, and disappointment

Notes for Muslim Javanese in the pre- and post-2019 general election in Central Java

chapter 7|20 pages

West Sumatra in the 2019 general election

The past in shaping the region’s identity

chapter 8|17 pages

The 2018 and 2019 elections in South Sulawesi

Jusuf Kalla’s decline and the return of Islamists

chapter 9|22 pages

The 2018/2019 simultaneous elections in West Kalimantan province and its aftermath

Historical legacies, identity politics, and the politics of partition

chapter 10|18 pages

Electoral politics in Sumba

The persistence of tradition

chapter 11|8 pages

Conclusion

What have we learned?