Sustainable Democratic Education: Analyzing Democratization and Disruption During Indonesian Election of 1955

The 1955 Indonesian Elections affected not just the first general election conducted by the country. This first election gave adequate opportunity for every Indonesian to directly choose their candidate for parliament and constituents (the body charged with law formulation). Based on conditions of a large voter turnout and fierce party rivalry, the 1955 election was judged democratic. Notwithstanding the success of the General Election of 1955, local and national technical problems including the kidnapping of government officials and election organizers from Sulawesi, Central Java, and Yogyakarta surfaced. Security disturbances must also be addressed when election organizers gather voter information, disseminate election logistics, and perform their responsibilities as election campaign committees—which are prone to disturbance among political party adherents.
Furthermore, creating a cabinet for the period of Parliamentary Democracy helped the 1955 General Election to be held. Every cabinet is in charge of running the election, including the creation of the Election Law, selecting of election officials, and planning of voting campaigns. Despite the dwindling political party participation, this inter-cabinet cooperation effectively carried out the first national election. Election campaigns often bring conflicts between parties, although the great majority of political parties and elites support the application of general elections.

1955年印度尼西亚大选不仅是该国历史上首次全国性议会选举，其影响亦远超选举本身的范畴。本次选举为全体印尼公民提供了充分机会，使其能够直接选举议会候选人与负责法律制定的立法机构代表。鉴于本次选举投票率高、政党竞争激烈，1955年大选被认定为一次民主选举。
尽管1955年全国大选取得了成功，但仍暴露出全国及地方层面的各类技术问题：包括苏拉威西、中爪哇与日惹地区发生的政府官员及选举组织者绑架事件。此外，选举组织者在收集选民信息、分发选举物资以及履行选举竞选委员会职责的过程中，也需应对安全骚乱风险——这类工作极易引发政党支持者间的冲突。
此外，议会民主时期内阁的组建为1955年全国大选的顺利举行提供了保障。每一届内阁均负责统筹选举相关事务，包括制定选举法、遴选选举官员以及规划投票竞选活动。尽管政党参与度有所下滑，但内阁间的协作仍有效推进了该国首次全国性选举的开展。尽管绝大多数政党及其精英均支持推行全国普选，但选举竞选活动往往会引发政党间的冲突。