On 17 April 2019, Indonesians marched to the polls to elect their president and vice president directly for the fourth time since 2004. The main contenders for the presidency—Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Prabowo Subianto—were the same as when they first clashed in 2014, and the result was the same. Some of the issues raised in 2014 were rehashed in 2019, and the geographical polarization of voters had deepened along the same fault lines. There is a case for arguing that 2019 was a replay of the 2014 elections, hence the title of this book. But “2.0” also signifies progression, since nothing is ever exactly the same. 2019 has seen the intensification of cyber-politics, and the curious outcome where former opponents on the electoral battlefield, as featured on the cover of this book, ended up as colleagues in the same cabinet. This volume provides incisive analyses of the dynamics of the elections from multiple perspectives, from what is new (cyber-politics) to what persists (identity politics), from the constituencies that cut across national demographics to the regions and their peculiarities. The insights drawn out in this volume will serve as a guide for understanding the next presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024 and beyond.

On 17 April 2019, Indonesians marched to the polls to elect their president and vice president directly for the fourth time since 2004. The main contenders for the presidency-Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Prabowo Subianto-were the same as when they first clashed in 2014, and the result was the same. Some of the issues raised in 2014 were rehashed in 2019, and the geographical polarization of voters had deepened along the same fault lines. There is a case for arguing that 2019 was a replay of the 2014 elections, hence the title of this book. But "2.0" also signifies progression, since nothing is ever exactly the same. 2019 has seen the intensification of cyber-politics, and the curious outcome where former opponents on the electoral battlefield, as featured on the cover of this book, ended up as colleagues in the same cabinet. This volume provides incisive analyses of the dynamics of the elections from multiple perspectives, from what is new (cyber-politics) to what persists (identity politics), from the constituencies that cut across national demographics to the regions and their peculiarities. The insights drawn out in this volume will serve as a guide for understanding the next presidential and parliamentary elections in 2024 and beyond.

Around the globe, populists have used the decline of established political parties and widespread societal fears of globalization to launch increasingly successful electoral campaigns. Indonesia is no exception. In the 2014 presidential elections, two populists even competed against each other--albeit with vastly different concepts of populism. Prabowo Subianto, the wealthy former son-in-law of ex-autocrat Suharto, offered a classic populist paradigm based on anti-foreign rhetoric, condemnation of the status quo, appeal to the poor, and neo-authoritarian reform plans. By contrast, his opponent, the down-to-earth former carpenter and Jakarta governor, Joko Widodo ("Jokowi"), advanced a new form of technocratic populism that was inclusive, nonconfrontational, and primarily focused on improving the quality of public service delivery. This study explores the dynamics of the electoral contest between Prabowo and Jokowi, and analyzes what they tell us about the conditions under which populist campaigns are launched and succeed or fail. It shows that Prabowo's campaign was ultimately defeated because Indonesia's post-Suharto democracy was not in a state of acute, life-threatening crisis. However, the issue also illuminates Jokowi's struggle to establish his populist rule after his inauguration as president, with oligarchic forces and other members of the old elite forcefully trying to intrude into his new government.

From a riverside shack to the presidential palace, Joko Widodo surged to the top of Indonesian politics on a wave of hope for change. However, six years into his presidency, the former furniture maker is struggling to deliver the reforms that Indonesia desperately needs. Despite promising to build Indonesia into an Asian powerhouse, Jokowi, as he is known, has faltered in the face of crises, from COVID-19 to an Islamist mass movement. Man of Contradictions, the first English-language biography of Jokowi, argues that the president embodies the fundamental contradictions of modern Indonesia. He is caught between democracy and authoritarianism, openness and protectionism, Islam and pluralism. Jokowi’s incredible story shows what is possible in Indonesia – and it also shows the limits.

The first cross-regional study to show that populism can have both positive and negative effects on democracy.

The book examines the various dynamics involved in Indonesian presidential elections, inter alia, the political and changing presidential system, the history of the presidency, the various forces at work in the 2024 presidential elections especially the personalities and political forces involved in the elections and eventually, the factors behind the victory of Prabowo Subianto who had tried four times, first as a vice-presidential candidate and thrice as a presidential candidate, and how he won the presidential election in a single round without a runoff. The implications of this victory for Indonesia and the wider world are also discussed.