Indonesia in 1981: Countdown to the General Elections

Abstract

SINCE COMING TO POWER in the wake of the abortive communist coup of 1965, and inheriting a country all but decimated by the disastrous economic policies and political turmoil of the Sukarno era, the New Order government of President Soeharto has committed its resources to, and staked its own claim to legitimacy upon, its fulfilment of the twin goals of economic development and political stability. Indeed, these two components of resilience are inexorably intertwined in the ideology and the policies of the Soeharto regime. On the one hand, rapid, smooth and equitable socioeconomic development is seen as the only true guarantor of long-term national stability. On the other hand, the government holds that successful economic development can only be achieved in a political environment characterized by continuity and stability. Thus, economic development and political stability have always been regarded by the Soeharto government as interdependent and mutually reinforcing national goals. There is every indication that the results of the forthcoming national elections, scheduled for May 4, 1982, will not significantly alter either the country's current leadership or its basic policy direction in pursuit of these goals. Given the existing correlation of domestic political forces, there would seem to be no alternative to the continuation of the present system of military and technocratic rule under the government's Golkar banner, with President Soeharto remaining at the helm for a fourth term in office. This does not mean that the government, or the President, is without opposition, however. A series of significant anti-Soeharto political actions began in May