ABSTRACT
This chapter evaluates the 2012 Jakarta Gubernatorial election with special focus on the issue of race and religion. The election was an important test of Indonesian democracy's capacity to deal with the issues that potentially could divide the country. The chapter describes arguments made by Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) which supported Jokowi in his successful campaign to be elected Mayor of the central Javanese town of Surakarta, known as 'Solo', but not in Jakarta, despite the fact that Jokowi's Deputy Mayor in Solo was also a non-Muslim. The Jakarta branch of Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) seems to believe so, since it issued a fatwa stating that people have the obligation to choose their leaders based on their religion. PKS suggested to Jokowi that he should complete his term as Mayor of Surakarta, rather than contesting the Gubernatorial election in Jakarta.
