“In a polling station in Bandung, West Java, election officials wore the Cheong Sam,, Chinese dress. In Jakarta, officials in a number of polling stations donned the indigenous Betawi attire. In Bali, like in previous elections, officials held traditional rituals and dressed in the famous outfits.” On the whole, however, the election officials all over the country wore casual dress. The few quoted cases, however, did reflect the situation when the decisive Presidential election was held. It was a very peaceful election and even “in the war-torn provinces, such as Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and Papua, no clashes were reported in an election earlier called one of the most complex in the world.” (Jakarta Post, 21 September 2004).

How would future historians describe Indonesia of the year 2004? Would they call it “the year of the reconfirmation of re-emergence of democratic tradition” or “the most politicized year in contemporary history” or “the year of political promises” or, perhaps, who knows, “the year of the crisis of the political elites”? Since the tsunami had caused such disastrous damage to nature and human lives in Aceh and Nias, would the year be remembered as “the year of natural disasters?” Whatever future historians may call it, the year 2004 is symbolically and indeed, also historically, very significant for the nation-state that has from the beginning of the process of its nation formation called itself “Indonesia”. For the first time in history the majority of the Indonesian voters — around 80 per cent — for three consecutive times willingly went to the polling stations. On 5 April, they went to the polling stations to cast their votes to elect the members of four legislative bodies — the national, provincial, and district legislative bodies and the newly instituted “council of regional representatives”. On 5 July, they went again to the polling booths to elect the President and the Vice-President. There were five pairs of candidates competing for the highest offices in the country. Since no pair received more than 50 per cent of the popular votes, on 20 September, the second round of the presidential election was held.