Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country (270 million), held its election on 14 February 2024. As the world’s third-largest democracy and the largest Muslim-majority democracy, Indonesia’s election is not only a crucial domestic affair but also an event with global significance.

Since its democratisation in 1998, Indonesia has stood out as an example of democracy in Southeast Asia and the Islamic world. In the election, over 200 million people cast their votes for the President and Vice-President from three pairs of candidates. Voters also chose their representatives, with more than 300,000 legislative candidates competing for around 20,000 seats at the national and local levels. All of this happened in an archipelagic nation with over 16,000 islands.

This panel discussion aims to explore the complexities of the Indonesian election, its global implications, and the lessons it can offer for our understanding of democracy.