Part 1

• From union to party: Labour Party in Indonesian 2024 election Amalinda Savirani UGM

  This article explores a shifting of mode of representation from labour movement to labour party in Indonesian 2024 election. The party is a coalition of many grassroots movement and civil society organizations, including peasant, urban poor, informal sector, etc., announced officially in 2021. The party did not pass 4% parliamentary threshold (7 million votes) required by the law in 2024 election. The shifting of mode representation involves a changing of institutional set up from social movement/union to party politics. If in labour movement advocacy centered at minimum wage and workers’ welfare, in the party, strategies of voters’ mobilization cover wider public issues to attract voters. This article explores how has the shift taken place? What is the result and why the party did not pass the PT? to what extent this caused by internal union and labour party, failure in campaign mode and mobilize supporters/voters, or due to pragmatic behavior of Indonesian voters?

• Youth’s Narrative in Campaign and Actions: Young Female Legislative Candidates in the 2024 General Elections Kurniawati Hastuti Dewi Research Center for Politics

  The 2024 Indonesian elections witnessed a record high of young voters, with approximately 52% turnout. Recognizing this significant demographic, political parties are eager to accommodate their interests. While existing studies predominantly delve into marketing strategies and the political behavior of young voters, this paper addresses a critical gap by focusing on the youth’s narratives as presented by young female legislative candidates in the 2024 General Elections. It contributes to understanding how young female candidates navigate political campaigns and represent youth voices. Qualitative data was gathered through interviews with 11 young female candidates (10 Gen Y, 1 Gen Z) across Jabodetabek and other regions during the campaign period (December 2023 - January 2024). The findings reveal that most candidates care and are willing to fight for the needs of young people, as one of the groups receiving attention. Notably, a majority built winning teams composed of young people, drawn from their former campus networks or young party cadres. These networks facilitated outreach to diverse groups, including young women, mothers, religious communities, and student organizations like Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam (Islamic Students Association, HMI) or Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Indonesia (Indonesian Islamic Students Association, PMII), utilized for campaign outreach. The paper concludes that the effectiveness of representing youth narratives depends on several factors, including the electoral district characteristics, the involvement of young people in the campaign team, and the candidates’ own experience engaging with young people.

Part 2

• The Impact of Political Islam on Women’s Representation in Indonesian Local Legislative Councils Diego Fossati City University of Hong Kong

  This paper studies the dynamics of women’s representation in Indonesian district legislative councils, leveraging the nation’s diverse landscape comprising over 500 districts. Beyond conventional structural factors tied to socioeconomic development, the study considers three alternative explanations for the significant variation observed. Through empirical testing, it investigates the roles of clientelism, political competitiveness, and political Islam in shaping women’s participation in local governance. The findings underscore a compelling relationship between the strength of Islamist parties and diminished levels of women’s representation in district councils, as regions with a more pronounced presence of Islamist political factions exhibit markedly lower levels of female participation in local legislative bodies. This study not only sheds light on the political dynamics within Indonesian local governance but also offers valuable insights into the complex interplay between religion, politics, and gender representation.

• Unmet Support for Class Representation in Indonesia Eve Warburton Australian National University

  This paper examines whether and to what extent Indonesian voters care about class representation. Political mobilisation along class lines is relatively weak in Indonesia, with a fragmented union movement and mostly unsuccessful attempts to establish a political party for workers and lower-class interests. Parties in Indonesia also rarely put lower-class candidates on legislative ballots, instead seeking out those with the money to fund their own campaigns and contribute to party coffers. Does this absence of lower- and working-class representation matter to Indonesian voters? And under what conditions might Indonesians throw their political support behind a poorer candidate? We explore these questions using recent survey data, and show there is a widespread and unmet desire for much more descriptive representation along class lines. We also explore how institutions can help overcome the electoral disadvantages that particular types of lower-class candidates face.

Abstract