| Parliament name (generic / translated) |
Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat / House of Representatives |
| Structure of parliament |
Unicameral |
| BACKGROUND |
| Dates of election / renewal (from/to) |
5 April 2004 |
| Purpose of elections |
Elections were held for the 550 elective seats of the House of Representatives on the normal expiry of the members' term of office. |
Up to 147 million voters were called to the polls on 5 April 2004 to elect the 550 members of the national House of Representatives together with the members of the provincial and regional legislatures and those of the Regional Representatives' Council, a new assembly of provincial delegates. All together, at stake were 15,276 seats in national, provincial and district parliaments.
Almost half a million candidates stood in the elections. Some 7,800 of them, from 24 different parties competed for seats in the national House of Representatives.
The electoral campaign was marked by the extensive use of television advertising for the first time. Some ads demonstrated how to punch the ballots correctly. Most of the parties focused their campaign on the need to improve the economy, with little differences between the two main contenders, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), led by President Megawati Sukarnoputri and Golkar, the party of former President Suharto, led at the time by the then Speaker of Parliament, Akbar Tandjung. Golkar was part of Ms. Megawati's governing coalition. It is now led by Mr. Jusuf Kalla, Vice President of the Republic.
Although some 80 per cent of the country's population are Muslims, one of the defining features of the 22-day campaign was the silence of the five main Muslim parties on the issue of Islamic Law, while they insisted on the need to improve the economy.
About 84 per cent of the eligible voters turned out to cast their ballots but some 11 million votes were declared invalid due to the complexity of the voting process. Indeed, the ballot sheets were reportedly very long to accommodate the long lists of candidates. This probably confused voters and led them to fill them incorrectly.
The election was billed as history's biggest one-day vote, and was only Indonesia's second democratic vote since Suharto's fall in 1998. Civic groups were concerned that the process was too complicated and voters had not had enough education.
Some 43 foreign and local organizations were accredited by the general election commission (KPU) to monitor the elections. Amid fears of unrest, 275,000 police were deployed.
Nearly 600,000 polling stations, staffed by 5 million workers and spanning three time zones and 3,000 miles from Sumatra in the west to Papua in the East, were opened in the country's 6,000 inhabited islands.
Voting was marred by delays, shortages of election materials, registration cards delivery mistakes and confusing ballots featuring hundreds of names and dozens of party logos. While there were reports of irregularities, the chief of the European Union Election Observer Mission said that they looked minor.
Across most of the country the poll proceeded without incident. Nevertheless, two Indonesian election officials were reported killed while delivering voting equipment in Papua.
According to the results announced on 5 May 2004, the Golkar party emerged the winner of the elections as it took 21.6 per cent of the vote and 127 seats, up from 120 in 1999, with the PDI-P party coming second with 18.5 per cent and 109, down from 153. The National Awakening Party came in third position, with 10,57 per cent of the vote and 52 seats.
The newly elected House of Representatives held its first sitting on 1 October 2004. Mr. Agung Laksono was elected as its Speaker.
The results of the parliamentary elections determined which parties could put up candidates for the presidential election. The first direct presidential election was on 5 July 2004, and the second round was held on 9 September 2004. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was elected as President. |
| STATISTICS |
| Voter turnout |
| Round no 1 | 5 April 2004 |
Number of registered electors
Voters
Blank or invalid ballot papers
Valid votes |
148'000'369
124'449'038 (84.09%)
113'462'414 |
|
Notes
|
|
| Distribution of votes |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Candidates |
Votes |
|
|
% |
|
|
| Golkar |
652 |
24'480'757 |
|
|
21.57 |
|
|
| Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) |
558 |
21'026'629 |
|
|
18.53 |
|
|
| United Development Party (PPP) |
497 |
9'248'764 |
|
|
8.15 |
|
|
| Democratic Party (PD) |
433 |
8'455'225 |
|
|
7.45 |
|
|
| National Mandate Party (PAN) |
520 |
7'303'324 |
|
|
6.44 |
|
|
| National Awakening Party (PKB) |
451 |
11'989'564 |
|
|
10.56 |
|
|
| Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) |
446 |
8'325'020 |
|
|
7.34 |
|
|
| Reform Star Party (PBR) |
317 |
2'764'998 |
|
|
2.44 |
|
|
| Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) |
283 |
2'414'254 |
|
|
2.13 |
|
|
| Crescent Star Party (PBB) |
336 |
2'970'487 |
|
|
2.62 |
|
|
| Others |
1062 |
5'057'192 |
|
|
4.46 |
|
|
| United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) |
223 |
1'313'654 |
|
|
1.16 |
|
|
| Justice and Unity Party (PKP) |
|
1'424'240 |
|
|
1.25 |
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats |
|
Round no 1
|
| Political Group |
Total
|
|
|
|
|
| Golkar |
127
|
|
|
|
|
| Indonesian Democratic Party - Struggle (PDI-P) |
109
|
|
|
|
|
| United Development Party (PPP) |
58
|
|
|
|
|
| Democratic Party (PD) |
56
|
|
|
|
|
| National Mandate Party (PAN) |
53
|
|
|
|
|
| National Awakening Party (PKB) |
52
|
|
|
|
|
| Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) |
45
|
|
|
|
|
| Reform Star Party (PBR) |
14
|
|
|
|
|
| Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) |
13
|
|
|
|
|
| Crescent Star Party (PBB) |
11
|
|
|
|
|
| Others |
7
|
|
|
|
|
| United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) |
4
|
|
|
|
|
| Justice and Unity Party (PKP) |
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Distribution of seats according to sex |
Men
Women
Percent of women |
488
62
11.27%
|
| Distribution of seats according to age |
21 to 30 years
31 to 40 years
41 to 50 years
51 to 60 years
61 to 70 years
Over 70 years
Unknown
|
4
75
189
174
83
5
20
|
| Distribution of seats according to profession |
| Former Member of Parliament |
204 |
| Employees of Private Company |
125 |
| Entrepreneur |
114 |
| Professionals |
38 |
| Government Official/Civil Searvant |
26 |
| Retired from Government Service/Military |
25 |
| Others |
18 |
|
| Comments |
Sources:
- The Jakarta Post
- Indonesian Group of the IPU (08.03.2005, 01.01.2008)
|
A historical Archive of past election results for this chamber can be found on a separate page