There has been worry that political life in Indonesia is backsliding into illiberal democracy due to the absence of an opposition that can offer itself as a viable alternative to the current government. 

However, says Dr Max Lane, visiting senior fellow at Iseas – Yusof Ishak Institute, it may be more useful to characterise contemporary Indonesian politics as going through a phase of liberal democracy where the government is comprised of most of the major parties in Parliament, with not much divergence in their policy preferences.