In May the president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was embarrassed by the findings of an opinion poll which showed that he was less popular than Soeharto, who ruled Indonesia as a dictator from 1965 to 1998. In the survey, conducted by a local firm, Indo Barometer, 37% of respondents named Soeharto as their favourite president, with only 21% preferring Mr Yudhoyono. Moreover, 41% of respondents agreed that conditions had been better during Soeharto's rule, while only 23% disagreed. Under Soeharto the country was stable and the economy grew strongly, but his New Order regime was also associated with numerous human rights violations and with widespread corruption.

The poll's findings do not imply that Indonesians wish to return to an era of dictatorship, but they may reflect a growing disillusionment with democratic governance as it is currently practiced in Indonesia, with reforms drifting and elected officials pursuing their own interests. A greater concern is that the lasting popularity of Soeharto that is reflected in the poll could offer conservative politicians an opportunity to roll back some of the democratic gains made since Soeharto was ousted in 1998.

Many of the achievements of the reform era since Soeharto's fall are now being challenged, and vigilance on the part of civil society and reformists is required to protect these gains. Local democracy is threatened by proposals to end the direct election of provincial governors. Institutions established to fight corruption face emasculation through legislative amendments currently under deliberation in the House of People's Representatives (DPR, the legislature). Meanwhile, protection of minority rights and religious freedoms has weakened rapidly under the watch of the current government. Mr Yudhoyono wishes his legacy to be a strengthening of democracy in Indonesia, and seeks stability and consensus in order to achieve this goal.