Elections: consolidating peace
Edward Aspinall
In December 2004, Irwandi Yusuf, a key member of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM), escaped prison when the tsunami destroyed his jail. Two years later, he was elected governor of Aceh. Irwani's extraordinary story is characteristic of the December 2006 elections in Aceh, which Aspinall sees as a comparably remarkable outcome of the recent peace process in the province. Local elections were among the most contentious elements of the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding that ended the war, almost wrecking the Helsinki talks. And as elections approached, the GAM leadership became increasingly divided. But it was able to secure victory by portraying itself as a genuine force for change, and through its well-developed organization and its insurgent legacy.
