Title: Advertising democracy: Commercial television and the 1999 Indonesian National ElectionsSubmitted by: Stephen Atkinson, Northern Territory University, AustraliaDuring the lead-up to Indonesia's June 1999 General Election, commercial television was a major source of information and debate. Talk-show hosts interviewed political party leaders and opened the phone lines to questions from the viewing public. 'Experts' discussed the nation's needs and scrutinised politicians' ability to deliver. Characters in locally produced sit-coms and tele-dramas urged each other to register to vote. Peppered throughout were advertisements for political parties and voter education campaigns. These emphasised that the success of the 1999 election - as distinct from those held during the New Order period - depended on the unrestricted exercise of individual free-choice and the acceptance of civil-social responsibility. The paper will examine some examples of political party and voter education advertising campaigns and discuss their performative role in the reformation of Indonesian political culture. Return to Abstracts menuCarol Burnett Phone: 61 - 3 - 9349 1899 Email: c.burnett@asialink.unimelb.edu.au
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