Dr Elisabeth Kramer - Political candidates and anti-corruptionism

Indonesia has announced it will conduct its next general elections on 14 February 2024, to select a new president and vice president, and members of the national, provincial and district legislatures. This will be the largest electoral event in Indonesia’s history, with more candidates campaigning at the same time than ever before.

In past elections, fierce electoral competition has seen many candidates resort to vote buying (or "money-politics") to give them an edge in their campaigns. But a small number of candidates make the choice to take a risk and run against the status quo on a platform of "anticorruptionism".

Why is money politics so prevalent in Indonesian election campaigns? Why would a candidate choose to run on an anti-corruption platform, and do they have a chance of winning if they do? What does it all mean for the future of Indonesia’s democracy? In Talking Indonesia this week, Dr Jemma Purdey explores these questions and more with Dr Elisabeth Kramer, deputy director of the Sydney Southeast Asia Centre (SSEAC), Sydney University and author of The Candidates Dilemma: AntiCorruptionism and Money Politics in Indonesian Electoral Campaigns.

In 2022, the Talking Indonesia podcast is co-hosted by Dr Jemma Purdey from Monash University, Dr Dave McRae from the University of Melbourne, Dr Jacqui Baker from Murdoch University, and Tito Ambyo from RMIT.

Image: Antara Foto