ABSTRACT
Indonesia's two main political institutions are the parliament and the People's Consultative Assembly, the 1000-member body which meets once every five years to pick a president and vice-president and to draw up the 'guidelines for state policy'. Political stability has been one of the hallmarks of Soeharto's rule but that is not the same thing as saying that Indonesia is politically stable. Soeharto's success in sidelining critical officers, notably former armed forces commander General Benny Murdani, also succeeded in weakening the political half of the military's dual-function role. Getting military officers to communicate more with their civilian counterparts is arguably the most important prerequisite for developing an effective common front on the succession issue. Modernist Muslim leaders advocate political change in Indonesia and are interested in playing a part in a 'succession coalition'. The structure of Indonesia's economy offers another clue into why democratisation remains an elusive goal.
