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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Civil society's voice spoke loudest in Indonesia's election | Civil society's voice spoke loudest in Indonesia's election |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has announced his victory, despite most exit polls showing Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will likely be president. It's a worrying step that harks back to the authoritarianism of Suharto's New Order and also a sign that Prabowo has misunderstood the character of this election: Indonesia's democracy has experienced a revitalisation, driven by participation from below. | Indonesian presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto has announced his victory, despite most exit polls showing Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will likely be president. It's a worrying step that harks back to the authoritarianism of Suharto's New Order and also a sign that Prabowo has misunderstood the character of this election: Indonesia's democracy has experienced a revitalisation, driven by participation from below. |
| It will no longer be possible to black out or bulldoze critical voices, which this election have not only come from traditional sources – academics, artists, foreign journalists – but from the margins. Whoever wins the election will have to take Indonesian civil society groups seriously. | |
| In early June, for example, about 50 street sweepers from Jakarta, calling themselves "fighters for the cleaning of Jakarta" received some media attention when they declared their support for Jokowi, while wearing their bright orange uniforms and carrying their brooms. | In early June, for example, about 50 street sweepers from Jakarta, calling themselves "fighters for the cleaning of Jakarta" received some media attention when they declared their support for Jokowi, while wearing their bright orange uniforms and carrying their brooms. |
| In the city of Medan, public transport drivers backed Prabowo. Auto rickshaw drivers in Jakarta went for Jokowi, hoping that he would help them with free licenses. | In the city of Medan, public transport drivers backed Prabowo. Auto rickshaw drivers in Jakarta went for Jokowi, hoping that he would help them with free licenses. |
| And Raymond Tan, the former director of Radio Era Baru, a Mandarin language radio station that was forcefully closed by the police in 2011, said that often-marginalised Chinese Indonesians are now "openly discussing their political affiliations in coffee shops, meetings and social interactions". | And Raymond Tan, the former director of Radio Era Baru, a Mandarin language radio station that was forcefully closed by the police in 2011, said that often-marginalised Chinese Indonesians are now "openly discussing their political affiliations in coffee shops, meetings and social interactions". |
| This is a far cry from the Indonesia I grew up in as a high school student in the 90s, where openly discussing politics could land you in jail. | This is a far cry from the Indonesia I grew up in as a high school student in the 90s, where openly discussing politics could land you in jail. |
| Indonesian celebrities, long used by politicians merely as campaign accessories, are now talking back and are using their popularity to interject in political discussions. The hip-hop artist Kill The DJ, for example, has voiced his support for Jokowi, blogging that he "doesn’t want democracy to be handed back to the thieves and held hostage by them". | Indonesian celebrities, long used by politicians merely as campaign accessories, are now talking back and are using their popularity to interject in political discussions. The hip-hop artist Kill The DJ, for example, has voiced his support for Jokowi, blogging that he "doesn’t want democracy to be handed back to the thieves and held hostage by them". |
| Dangdut musician and politician Rhoma Irama wants Prabowo to win, saying that if "Indonesia is not being firm and strong, we will be colonised again, economically and politically by foreigners". | Dangdut musician and politician Rhoma Irama wants Prabowo to win, saying that if "Indonesia is not being firm and strong, we will be colonised again, economically and politically by foreigners". |
| They also realise the shift taking place. As Arian, lead singer of the metal band Seringai and supporter of Jokowi, said of the same period: "if you wanted to criticise [former president] Suharto, you couldn’t do that. Not like on social media now. Back then, you would get ‘picked up’ and disappear." | They also realise the shift taking place. As Arian, lead singer of the metal band Seringai and supporter of Jokowi, said of the same period: "if you wanted to criticise [former president] Suharto, you couldn’t do that. Not like on social media now. Back then, you would get ‘picked up’ and disappear." |
| These episodes are part of an extraordinary surge from below, which didn't appear by accident; it was caused by a combination of 16 years of political reformation, increasing economic and cultural confidence, and disappointment with the indecisiveness of outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. | These episodes are part of an extraordinary surge from below, which didn't appear by accident; it was caused by a combination of 16 years of political reformation, increasing economic and cultural confidence, and disappointment with the indecisiveness of outgoing president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. |
| It is also prompting Indonesians to take responsibility for the election's outcome. Dina Budiartoa, a voter in her 20s from Jakarta, stayed at her local polling station in Jakarta after casting her ballot, to ensure the counting was performed fairly. | |
| "I didn’t care about previous elections," she told Guardian Australia. "No matter who the government was, corruption was still guaranteed to happen. But this time, there is a clean, good person worth fighting for. So that’s why I’m guarding the polling station; for the future of a better Indonesia." | "I didn’t care about previous elections," she told Guardian Australia. "No matter who the government was, corruption was still guaranteed to happen. But this time, there is a clean, good person worth fighting for. So that’s why I’m guarding the polling station; for the future of a better Indonesia." |
| Prabowo and Jokowi responded to this push for grassroots involvement from their supporters, but used completely different strategies. | Prabowo and Jokowi responded to this push for grassroots involvement from their supporters, but used completely different strategies. |
| Prabowo’s "firm" ("tegas" in Indonesian) image relied on a well-trained army of volunteers and professional campaigners, including Rob Allyn, an American political adviser who has worked for George W. Bush and former Mexican president, Vicente Fox. | |
| On the other hand, Jokowi’s campaign has been described as "chaotic". A digital analyst, Yose Rizal, said that the biggest difference between the social media strategies of the two candidates was the lack of structure and cohesion from Jokowi. | On the other hand, Jokowi’s campaign has been described as "chaotic". A digital analyst, Yose Rizal, said that the biggest difference between the social media strategies of the two candidates was the lack of structure and cohesion from Jokowi. |
| Despite that, on election day Jokowi’s camp seemed able to mobilise volunteers more effectively where it matters: at polling stations. A volunteer developed a mobile app called iWitness that allowed users to report the results of counting at their local polling station, upload it to a central website, take photos for further proof, and report evidence of electoral fraud. | |
| By the end of polling, the iWitness app website had produced a quick count result that was quite close to those produced by traditional pollsters. An Indonesian blogger and Jokowi supporter, Enda Nasution, accordingly likened Jokowi’s style to the "open source" movements in digital media. | By the end of polling, the iWitness app website had produced a quick count result that was quite close to those produced by traditional pollsters. An Indonesian blogger and Jokowi supporter, Enda Nasution, accordingly likened Jokowi’s style to the "open source" movements in digital media. |
| By contrast, Prabowo’s party, Gerindra, reportedly trained one thousand witnesses to monitor the polling stations by giving them military-style physical and mental training at his ranch in Hambalang. | By contrast, Prabowo’s party, Gerindra, reportedly trained one thousand witnesses to monitor the polling stations by giving them military-style physical and mental training at his ranch in Hambalang. |
| It is not clear what the well-oiled, thousand-strong Gerindra witnesses achieved, but it does indicate the fundamental difference between the two candidates: Jokowi is aware of the importance of this new surge of people power. | It is not clear what the well-oiled, thousand-strong Gerindra witnesses achieved, but it does indicate the fundamental difference between the two candidates: Jokowi is aware of the importance of this new surge of people power. |
| "The real victory is of the people and has been achieved through participation, not through mass mobilisation. It was achieved through hard work, day and night, not by promising rewards," he said, after declaring victory on Thursday. | "The real victory is of the people and has been achieved through participation, not through mass mobilisation. It was achieved through hard work, day and night, not by promising rewards," he said, after declaring victory on Thursday. |
| For a diasporic Indonesian like me, it was heartwarming to see bursts of humour during the election day – another sign that Indonesia’s democracy is working from below. Workers at a polling station in Yogyakarta wore clownish Javanese wayang costumes. Some polling stations were adorned with World Cup-themed decorations. At an Australian polling station in Melbourne a disco light blazed in one of the polling booths. | For a diasporic Indonesian like me, it was heartwarming to see bursts of humour during the election day – another sign that Indonesia’s democracy is working from below. Workers at a polling station in Yogyakarta wore clownish Javanese wayang costumes. Some polling stations were adorned with World Cup-themed decorations. At an Australian polling station in Melbourne a disco light blazed in one of the polling booths. |
| No matter who wins, Indonesia's democracy matured rapidly this election. The voice of civil society has been strengthened. How Prabowo and Jokowi respond to this resurgence, regardless of who takes the presidency, will decide where Indonesia goes from here. | No matter who wins, Indonesia's democracy matured rapidly this election. The voice of civil society has been strengthened. How Prabowo and Jokowi respond to this resurgence, regardless of who takes the presidency, will decide where Indonesia goes from here. |