Indonesian legislative election, 2004
Encyclopedia
Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

 held legislative elections on 5 April 2004 for both houses of the People's Consultative Assembly
People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly is the legislative branch in Indonesia's political system. It is composed of the members of the People's Representative Council and the Regional Representative Council. Before 2004, and the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, the MPR was the highest governing...

, the country's national legislature. This included all 550 seats in the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 and 128 seats of the new Regional Representative Council.

Final results of the popular vote tally showed that Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...

, the former ruling party of the New Order
New Order (Indonesia)
The New Order is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. Suharto used this term to contrast his rule with that of his predecessor, Sukarno...

 era, received the largest number of votes. It had lost to the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle in the 1999 legislative election
Indonesian legislative election, 1999
The Indonesian legislative election, 1999, held on June 7, 1999, was the first election since the end of the New Order and the first free election in Indonesia since 1955. With the ending of restrictions on political activity following the fall of Suharto, a total of 48 parties contested the 462...

. The Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...

 and the Prosperous Justice Party, two of the newest parties to participate in the elections, received a combined 14.8 percent of the popular vote.

Based on the final allocation of seats in the People's Representative Council, Golkar, the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle, the National Awakening Party
National Awakening Party
-Origins:The story of PKB establishment began in May 11, 1998 when the elders Kyai held a meeting at Pesantren Langitan. They discussed the latest situation that demands changes to save Indonesian nation from destruction. As a result Kyai make an official letter to Pak Harto requested he fell or...

, the United Development Party
United Development Party
The United Development Party , sometimes translated as Development Unity Party is a political party in Indonesia. It is an islamic party and currently led by Suryadharma Ali.-Origins:...

, the Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party, and the National Mandate Party
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party is a moderate Islamist political party in Indonesia. It was founded by reformists, including Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian reformation...

 were qualified to submit candidates for the country's first direct presidential election
Indonesian presidential election, 2004
The first direct presidential election in Indonesia was held in two rounds on 5 July and 20 September 2004. Prior to a 2002 amendment to the Constitution of Indonesia, the President and Vice President was elected by the country's top legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly.Under the...

 later in the year.

The election has been described as the most complicated election in the history of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

.

Background

During its 2002 annual session, the People's Consultative Assembly
People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly is the legislative branch in Indonesia's political system. It is composed of the members of the People's Representative Council and the Regional Representative Council. Before 2004, and the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, the MPR was the highest governing...

 (MPR) added 14 amendments to the Constitution of Indonesia
Constitution of Indonesia
The Constitution of Indonesia is the basis for the government of the Indonesia.The constitution was written in June, July and August 1945, when Indonesia was emerging from Japanese control at the end of World War II...

. Included in these amendments were measures to reorganize the legislature. Beginning in 2004, the MPR was composed of the existing People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 (DPR) and a new Regional Representative Council (DPD). Because all the seats in the MPR were directly elected
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...

, this called for removal of the military from the legislature, whose 38 seats in the Assembly were appointed. This change and an amendment for direct election of the President
President of Indonesia
The President of the Republic of Indonesia is the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Indonesia.The first president was Sukarno and the current president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.- Sukarno era :...

 and Vice President
Vice President of Indonesia
The Vice President of the Republic of Indonesia is the first in the line of succession in the Republic of Indonesia.-History of the office:The Indonesian Vice Presidency was established during the formulation of the 1945 constitution by the Researching Body for the Preparation of the Indonesian...

 were major steps for Indonesia on the road towards a full democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

.

On 13 July 2003, President Megawati Sukarnoputri
Megawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....

 signed into effect a law outlining the composition of the reorganized MPR. The new DPD was composed of four representatives from each of the 32 provinces of Indonesia
Provinces of Indonesia
The province is the highest tier of local government subnational entity in Indonesia. Each province has its own local government, headed by a governor, and has its own legislative body...

, not totaling more than one-third of the members of the DPR. The revised constitution also set membership in the DPR at 550.

Electoral campaign

During the first phases of registration, 150 parties were registered with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. However, this number was reduced to 50 and then 24 after scrutiny from the newly created General Election Commission. This reduction from the 48 parties that stood in the 1999 legislative election
Indonesian legislative election, 1999
The Indonesian legislative election, 1999, held on June 7, 1999, was the first election since the end of the New Order and the first free election in Indonesia since 1955. With the ending of restrictions on political activity following the fall of Suharto, a total of 48 parties contested the 462...

 was largely attributed to new a election law that allowed only parties that had won two percent of seats in the DPR, or three percent of seats in provincial and regental legislatures in half of the provinces to stand in the 2004 election. Only six parties met this requirement, and the remaining parties were required to merge or reorganize into a new party.

The campaign period for parties and candidates began on 11 March and continued until 1 April. It was split into two phases by Nyepi
Nyepi
Nyepi is a Balinese "Day of Silence" that is commemorated every Isakawarsa according to Bali's calendar . It is a day of silence, fasting, and meditation. The day following Nyepi is also celebrated as New year.Observed from 6 a.m. until 6 a.m...

, the Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

nese day of silence. Parties delivered their national agendas indoors between 11 and 25 March. Although this was meant to encourage dialogue between parties and their constituents, these events were poorly attended. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems
International Foundation for Electoral Systems
The International Foundation for Electoral Systems is an international, non-profit organization founded in 1987. This Washington, D. C.-based development organization provides assistance and support for elections in new and emerging democracies...

 conducted a tracking survey that showed not all voters knew how to vote for candidates of the new DPD, or were even aware it existed.
Schedule of the 2004 legislative election
11 March–1 April Active campaigning by parties for the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 and by candidates for the Regional Representative Council
2–4 April Quiet time
5 April Election day (national holiday)
21–30 April Announcement of results followed by allocation of seats

Up to 475,000 candidates were nominated by the political parties in the national, provincial, and regental levels. More than 1,200 candidates stood for 128 seats in the DPD, and 7,756 candidates stood for 550 seats in the DPR. Candidates were elected in an open list
Open list
Open list describes any variant of party-list proportional representation where voters have at least some influence on the order in which a party's candidates are elected...

 system.

Election results

The election results determined which political parties were eligible to submit candidates for Indonesia's first direct presidential election
Indonesian presidential election, 2004
The first direct presidential election in Indonesia was held in two rounds on 5 July and 20 September 2004. Prior to a 2002 amendment to the Constitution of Indonesia, the President and Vice President was elected by the country's top legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly.Under the...

, which was held on 5 July. Only parties that received five percent of the popular vote or three percent of seats in the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 could submit candidates. Parties that did not meet these criteria had to join with other parties to meet at least one criterion.

Election day

Election day, 5 April, was relatively free of major incidents and irregularities. Minor violations included officials helping elderly voters cast and submit ballots. Two Indonesian election officials were also reported killed when delivering voting equipment in Papua. The Australian Parliamentary Observer Delegation and the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 Election Observer Mission were among the organizations observing the election.

Grand total

The counting of votes took one month, and the final results were announced on 5 May, one week later than was initially scheduled. Of 148,000,369 registered voters, 124,420,339 ballots (84.06 percent) were submitted. Of these ballots, 113,462,414 were considered valid, and 10,957,925 were declared invalid. In the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

, the Party of the Functional Groups
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...

 (Golkar) received the most number of seats. It had previously lost to the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle in the 1999 legislative election after being in power since 1970. However, fourteen of the twenty-four participating parties refused to certify the election results after allegations of irregular vote counting.

Seat allocation

To achieve proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

, seat allocation was conducted using the largest remainder method
Largest remainder method
The largest remainder method is one way of allocating seats proportionally for representative assemblies with party list voting systems...

, whereby the Hare quota
Hare quota
The Hare quota is a formula used under some forms of the Single Transferable Vote system and the largest remainder method of party-list proportional representation...

 was used to determine seats automatically secured by individual parties. Any remaining seats assigned to the electoral region were allocated to remaining political parties based on the rank order of their remaining votes.
Seating redistribution in the People's Representative Council
Province Seat Gain Seat Loss
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan
West Kalimantan is a province of Indonesia. It is one of four Indonesian provinces in Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of the island of Borneo. Its capital city Pontianak is located right on the Equator....

Reform Star Party
Reform Star Party
- Background :The party began as a movement within the United Development Party to depose Vice-president Hamzah Haz from the chairmanship, which he held for the 1998-2003 term, as it was felt he would not have time to run the party and hold the vice-presidency. The movement's leader was Zainuddin...

 (PBR)
+1 Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) −1
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi
Central Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia located in the centre of Sulawesi. It was established on 13 April 1964....

National Mandate Party
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party is a moderate Islamist political party in Indonesia. It was founded by reformists, including Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian reformation...

 (PAN)
+1 Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...

 (PD)
−2
West Papua Prosperous Peace Party
Prosperous Peace Party
The Prosperous Peace Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Indonesia. It portrays itself as the reincarnation of Parkindo, the Indonesian Christian Party, which contested the 1955 and 1971 elections...

 (PDS)
+1
Papua Pioneers' Party (PP) +1 United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) −1

A total of 273 disputes were brought before the Constitutional Court, the last of which were decided on 21 June. Of these cases, 38 decisions affected the final allocation of seats in the People's Representative Council and provincial and regental legislatures. The Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...

 lost two seats, one to the National Mandate Party
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party is a moderate Islamist political party in Indonesia. It was founded by reformists, including Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian reformation...

 and Prosperous Peace Party
Prosperous Peace Party
The Prosperous Peace Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Indonesia. It portrays itself as the reincarnation of Parkindo, the Indonesian Christian Party, which contested the 1955 and 1971 elections...

 each. The Pioneers' Party gained one seat from the United Democratic Nationhood Party. Meanwhile, the only seat allocated to the Freedom Bull National Party by the General Election Commission was reassigned to the Reform Star Party
Reform Star Party
- Background :The party began as a movement within the United Development Party to depose Vice-president Hamzah Haz from the chairmanship, which he held for the 1998-2003 term, as it was felt he would not have time to run the party and hold the vice-presidency. The movement's leader was Zainuddin...

.

After the resolution of all disputes, sixteen parties received at least one seat in the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

, while eight received none. The inconsistency in the order of parties according to votes received and seats allocated arose due to a special rule created to address uneven population distribution between Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...

 and other islands. This rule stipulates that the Hare quota values for the provinces in Java were on average higher than those for the outer islands. A party require fewer votes to automatically secure a seat outside of Java. For example, the National Awakening Party
National Awakening Party
-Origins:The story of PKB establishment began in May 11, 1998 when the elders Kyai held a meeting at Pesantren Langitan. They discussed the latest situation that demands changes to save Indonesian nation from destruction. As a result Kyai make an official letter to Pak Harto requested he fell or...

 (PKB) received more votes than the National Mandate Party (PAN) but received nearly the same amount of seats. More than half of PKB seats were received in the party's stronghold of East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...

, where the quota value was higher. In contrast, only four of PAN seats were automatically secured.

Analysis

Results showed that Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...

, the former ruling party of the New Order
New Order (Indonesia)
The New Order is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. Suharto used this term to contrast his rule with that of his predecessor, Sukarno...

 era led by People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 Speaker Akbar Tanjung
Akbar Tanjung
Akbar Tanjung is an Indonesian politician who is a former chairman of Golkar party. He was the Speaker of the People's Representative Council from 1999 to 2004...

, had won the largest number of seats, defeating President Megawati Sukarnoputri
Megawati Sukarnoputri
In this Indonesian name, the name "Sukarnoputri" is a patronymic, not a family name, and the person should be referred to by the given name "Megawati"....

's Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI–P). Golkar received more votes than other parties in twenty-six out of thirty-two provinces. However, these results occurred because of declining PDI–P popularity rather than an increase in Golkar's popularity. Golkar's support in its traditional stronghold of Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...

 declined due to the performance of medium and small parties in the region. Despite winning the largest share of vote once again in Bali
Bali
Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

, PDI–P performance there suffered the greatest after the 2002 bombings by terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiyah
Jemaah Islamiah , is a Southeast Asian militant Islamic organization dedicated to the establishment of a Daulah Islamiyah in Southeast Asia incorporating Indonesia, Malaysia, the southern Philippines, Singapore and Brunei...

 devastated the island province's economy.

Both the National Awakening Party
National Awakening Party
-Origins:The story of PKB establishment began in May 11, 1998 when the elders Kyai held a meeting at Pesantren Langitan. They discussed the latest situation that demands changes to save Indonesian nation from destruction. As a result Kyai make an official letter to Pak Harto requested he fell or...

 (PKB) and the United Development Party
United Development Party
The United Development Party , sometimes translated as Development Unity Party is a political party in Indonesia. It is an islamic party and currently led by Suryadharma Ali.-Origins:...

 (PPP), both of whom were considered Islamic
Islamism
Islamism also , lit., "Political Islam" is set of ideologies holding that Islam is not only a religion but also a political system. Islamism is a controversial term, and definitions of it sometimes vary...

 parties, maintained their rankings in the People's Representative Council. The PKB, co-founded by former President and former Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid
Abdurrahman Wahid, born Abdurrahman Addakhil , colloquially known as , was an Indonesian Muslim religious and political leader who served as the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001...

, continued to perform well in its stronghold of East Java
East Java
East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and islands to its east and to its north East Java is a province of Indonesia. It is located on the eastern part of the island of Java and includes neighboring Madura and...

 despite losing votes.

The Islamic Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...

 (PD) finished first and second, respectively, in Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

, where voting patterns were considered a "barometer of Indonesian politics". Together, both parties received 42.5 percent of votes in the capital city.

Polarization of voting patterns based on religion was evident in the eastern provinces. Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...

-based Prosperous Peace Party
Prosperous Peace Party
The Prosperous Peace Party is a Christian-democratic political party in Indonesia. It portrays itself as the reincarnation of Parkindo, the Indonesian Christian Party, which contested the 1955 and 1971 elections...

 (PDS) received 14.8 percent of votes in Christian-dominant North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi
North Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia. It is on the island of Sulawesi, and borders the province of Gorontalo to the west . The islands of Sangihe and Talaud form the northern part of the province, which border Davao del Sur in the Philippines.The capital and largest city in North Sulawesi is...

 and 13 seats overall in the People's Representative Council. Likewise, Muslims were more likely to vote for the PKS in regions where religious conflict has been historically prevalent.

Aftermath

The 2004 legislative election was the most complicated in Indonesian history
History of Indonesia
The History of Indonesia was shaped by its geographic position, its natural resources, the series of human migrations, contacts, economy and trade, conquests and politics. Indonesia is an archipelagic country of 17,508 islands stretching along the equator in South East Asia...

 because Indonesians had to vote for representatives at the national, provincial, and regental levels. These factors made Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

's electoral system unique from other systems in the world. The election was described as the longest and most complicated election in the history of democracy
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...

 and secured the nation's place as the world's third largest democracy. Even prior to the election, the seat allocation system for the People's Representative Council was also deemed "the most complicated in the world" by several news sources across the country.

Seven political parties met the criteria to submit candidates for the July presidential election
Indonesian presidential election, 2004
The first direct presidential election in Indonesia was held in two rounds on 5 July and 20 September 2004. Prior to a 2002 amendment to the Constitution of Indonesia, the President and Vice President was elected by the country's top legislative body, the People's Consultative Assembly.Under the...

: Golkar
Golkar
The Party of the Functional Groups is a political party in Indonesia. It is also known as Sekber Golkar . It was the ruling party during Suharto's regime...

, the Indonesian Democratic Party – Struggle (PDI–P), the National Awakening Party
National Awakening Party
-Origins:The story of PKB establishment began in May 11, 1998 when the elders Kyai held a meeting at Pesantren Langitan. They discussed the latest situation that demands changes to save Indonesian nation from destruction. As a result Kyai make an official letter to Pak Harto requested he fell or...

 (PKB), the United Development Party
United Development Party
The United Development Party , sometimes translated as Development Unity Party is a political party in Indonesia. It is an islamic party and currently led by Suryadharma Ali.-Origins:...

 (PPP), the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Indonesia)
The Democratic Party is a political party in Indonesia, was founded on 9 September 2001. Its ideology is based on the Indonesian concept of Pancasila.-Origins:...

 (PD), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and the National Mandate Party
National Mandate Party
The National Mandate Party is a moderate Islamist political party in Indonesia. It was founded by reformists, including Amien Rais, chairman of the Muhammadiyah organization, during the Indonesian reformation...

 (PAN). The PKS was the only party not to nominate candidates, but it threw its support behind the PAN.

Newly elected members of the People's Representative Council
People's Representative Council
The People's Representative Council , sometimes referred to as the House of Representatives, is one of two elected national legislative assemblies in Indonesia....

 (DPR) and the Regional Representative Council (DPD) took the oath of office
Oath of office
An oath of office is an oath or affirmation a person takes before undertaking the duties of an office, usually a position in government or within a religious body, although such oaths are sometimes required of officers of other organizations...

 in separate sessions on 1 October, one day later than was scheduled. Both houses then convened together in the early morning of 2 October and took the oath of office as the People's Consultative Assembly
People's Consultative Assembly
The People's Consultative Assembly is the legislative branch in Indonesia's political system. It is composed of the members of the People's Representative Council and the Regional Representative Council. Before 2004, and the amendments to the 1945 Constitution, the MPR was the highest governing...

 (MPR). Ginandjar Kartasasmita
Ginandjar Kartasasmita
Prof. Dr. Ir. Ginandjar Kartasasmita April 1941 in Bandung, West Java is an Indonesian politician. He served a five-year term as Speaker of Indonesia Regional Representative Council .-Background:...

 was elected the inaugural chairman of the DPD with 72 of 128 votes in a run-off against Irman Gusman on 1 October. The following day, Agung Laksono
Agung Laksono
Agung Laksono is the coordinating minister for people's welfare in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet and a member of the Golkar Party. Previously, he was the Speaker of Indonesia People's Representative Council from 2004 to 2009...

 of Golkar was elected Speaker of the DPR by a vote of 280 to 257. The Chairman of the MPR was not elected until several days later, when Hidayat Nur Wahid
Hidayat Nur Wahid
Hidayat Nur Wahid was the Speaker of Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly for the 2004–2009 period. He resigned as the leader of Prosperous Justice Party on 11 October 2004...

 of the PKS won the vote 326 to 324 against PDI–P's Sutjipto.

On 5 October, three regencies were carved out of the province of South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi
South Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, located on the western southern peninsula of Sulawesi Island. The province is bordered by Central Sulawesi province to the north, South East Sulawesi province to the east and West Sulawesi province to the west...

 to form West Sulawesi
West Sulawesi
West Sulawesi is a province of Indonesia, which was created in 2004.- Geography :It is on the island of Sulawesi and includes the regencies of Polewali Mandar, Mamasa, Majene, Mamuju, and Mamuju Utara, which were formerly part of South Sulawesi...

 as the 33rd province of Indonesia. Because this occurred after the elections, West Sulawesi was not represented in the Regional Representative Council until the 2009 legislative election
Indonesian legislative election, 2009
Legislative elections were held in Indonesia on 9 April 2009 for 132 seats of the Regional Representative Council and 560 seats of the People's Representative Council . A total of 38 parties met the requirements to be allowed to participate in the national elections, with a further six contesting...

.

External links

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