The Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) and Decline of the New Order (1986-98)
by Stefan Eklof
- Published: 2003
- Pages: 352 pp.
- Series: Studies in Contemporary Asian History
- Series number: 3
About the book
Assesses broader questions of political culture, political participation, regime maintenance and opposition in the late Suharto era. The political culture perspective provides a fresh understanding of politics under the New Order and its influence on the systems of power and political relations in post-Suharto Indonesia.
Under Indonesia's authoritarian New Order regime, the continued existence of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) was meant to demonstrate the ostensibly democratic character of the regime. In essence, this small nationalist-Christian coalition was meant to rfill the role of pliant state corporatist party. From the later 1980s, however, the PDI became more openly critical of government policies and came to stand out as the major proponent of reform within the formal politica system. The govenrment responded in 1996 by engineering the removal of the populat Megwati Sukarnoputri as PDI leader, a move that significantly damaged the popular legitimacy and moral standing of the regime.
Against this background, the book assesses broader questions of political culture, political participation, regime maintenance and opposition in the late Suharto era. The political culture perspective provides a fresh understanding of politics under the New Order and its influence on the systems of power and political relations in post-Suharto Indonesia.
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About the author
Stefan Eklöf Amirell is an Indonesia expert, and has also published more generally about Southeast Asian politics and history. He completed his post-doctoral fellowship and history Ph. D at Lund University.
Go to author pageReviews
“This is a valuable contribution to the study of politics in Indonesia in the late Suharto
period.” “Eklöf deserves congratulation for giving us this analysis of PDI’s rather lamentable history.
“This is a valuable contribution to the study of politics in Indonesia in the late Suharto
period.” “Eklöf deserves congratulation for giving us this analysis of PDI’s rather lamentable history.”
“…this book maps a previously under-researched area of modern Indonesian politics and is certain to stand as the definitive history of the PDI under Suharto.”
“…this book maps a previously under-researched area of modern Indonesian politics and is certain to stand as the definitive history of the PDI under Suharto.”
“…an interesting perspective on Indonesian politics through his revised political culture approach […] and is a useful reference for advanced undergraduates […] highly recommended…”
“…an interesting perspective on Indonesian politics through his revised political culture approach […] and is a useful reference for advanced undergraduates […] highly recommended…”
…”comprehensive, with a good list of acronyms and a solid index. […] …organised around a well structured narrative interspersed with detail of his association with informants.”
…”comprehensive, with a good list of acronyms and a solid index. […] …organised around a well structured narrative interspersed with detail of his association with informants.”