Presidential election in Indonesia
1999 Indonesian presidential election|
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Presidential election |
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Turnout | 98.71% |
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Vice-presidential election |
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Turnout | 97.86% |
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From 20 to 21 October 1999, the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), the legislative branch of Indonesia, met to elect both the president and vice president of the country for a five-year term. The incumbent president, B. J. Habibie, declined to stand for election. On 20 October, Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama, was elected president and inaugurated on the same day. Wahid's opponent, Megawati Sukarnoputri was subsequently elected vice president the next day.[1] The elections represented the first relatively democratic and peaceful transfer of power in the history of Indonesia.[2]