Publication

This paper discusses the dispute over the elections for governor in Indonesia's North Maluku province of November 2007, commenting on the stability of political system. It provides background to the North Maluku elections, examines the main actors of the conflict and identifies repercussions from the dispute. The paper concludes that North Maluku is the exception that proves the rule: Of some 400 local elections that have taken place since 2005, most have proceeded without incident, and of more than 150 where the results were contested in the courts, most were peacefully resolved.