This book presents the first oral history of Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) (2004–2014). As the first directly elected president, he played a very important role in Indonesia’s democratization. Indonesia’s economy also got back on the path of growth under his administration.
In a series of interviews, SBY tells how he handled military affairs in 1990s, what he did as minister and coordinating minister under President Abdurrahman Wahid and President Megawati Sukarnoputri, challenges he confronted and how he managed those challenges in his administration. Readers will learn his thought about statecraft, his view of the future, his style of leadership, and the critical decisions he made and the thinking that informed his decisions. Interviewed by a team of Indonesia specialists for more than 30 hours, the oral recording helps the reader understand President Yudhoyono’s thinking in his own voice, and also, his policies and actions.
Contents:
- Preface
- Looking Back at My Life
- As a Cadet and a Young Officer
- The Crisis Years
- Serving under President Abdurrahman Wahid
- Serving as Menko Polkam under President Megawati
- Running for President
- First Term as the President: 2004–2009
- The 2009 Presidential Election and the Second Presidency
- Managing Divisive Policy Challenges
- National Security and Foreign Policy Issues
- Looking into the Future
- Curriculum Vitae
- Glossary
- Index
Readership: Students and researchers interested in Indonesian politics.
Key Features:
- This is the first oral history book ever on the former Indonesian president, based on his interviews with a team of scholars specializing in Indonesian affairs
- Unlike many ’as-told-to’ autobiographies, SBY answers questions prepared by the team, in order to understand his thoughts and ways in achieving Indonesia’s stability, navigating its transition to democracy and putting its economy back on the path of growth
- The book is rich in SBY’s personal stories that have never been told before publicly. Our interviews reveal how his personality and interactions with other political elites shaped his decisions
- As the first historical record of a head of state in the post-authoritarian Indonesia, the book serves as an essential reference for future academics, policymakers, diplomats and security professionals