The Post-1998 Democracy

This chapter scrutinizes the transition to democracy under the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri. The leadership of President Wahid, and his successor, Megawati, proved to be ineffective. None of them had practical knowledge about constitutional reform or a vision for the rule of law in the country. Wahid’s lack of vision for the rule of law and constitutionalism did not aid in restructuring Indonesia’s constitutional identity. Megawati opposed constitutional reform and preferred to stick with the original 1945 Constitution. Neither Wahid nor Megawati prioritized the rule of law as their telos; for Wahid, the telos of his administration was political survival, while for Megawati, the telos was securing and strengthening her presidency.