IV 
108TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 744
Congratulating the people and Government of the Republic of Indonesia 
on successfully completing elections for national, provincial, and regional 
parliamentary representatives, and praising the growth of democracy 
in Indonesia. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2004
Mr. BURTON of Indiana (for himself, Mr. WEXLER, and Mr. BEREUTER) sub-
mitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
International Relations 
RESOLUTION 
Congratulating the people and Government of the Republic 
of Indonesia on successfully completing elections for na-
tional, provincial, and regional parliamentary representa-
tives, and praising the growth of democracy in Indonesia.
Whereas on April 5, 2004, the people of the Republic of In-
donesia, in a critical test of their young democracy, suc-
cessfully held elections for national, provincial, and re-
gional parliamentary representatives; 
Whereas unlike elections in other countries, campaigning in 
Indonesia has not been marred by violence and, by most 
reports, balloting was conducted in a fair, transparent, 
and democratic manner;
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Whereas there are 148,369,000 registered voters in Indonesia 
and the recent elections on April 5, 2004, were the larg-
est single-day vote in history with a voter turn-out of 83 
percent or 124,449,036 Indonesian citizens; 
Whereas the 124,449,036 citizens who participated in Indo-
nesia’s elections are part of the world’s third largest de-
mocracy, a major secular state with a vast Muslim major-
ity, which is rightfully gaining international recognition 
for its strides toward complete democratization; 
Whereas the elections on April 5, 2004, consisted of 
660,000,000 ballot papers, 2,300,000 ballot boxes, 
5,000,000 election workers, 585,000 polling stations 
spread over more than 6,000 islands, and cost an esti-
mated $20,640,000; 
Whereas 7,765 candidates competed on the national level for 
550 seats in the Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat (House of 
Representatives); 
Whereas 40,000 candidates competed on the regional level for 
1,838 seats in 32 provinces in the DPRD 1 (Provincial 
Representative Council), and on the local level for 5,000 
seats in 439 districts in the DPRD 2 (Regency District 
Representative Council); 
Whereas 940 candidates competed for 128 seats, equaling 4 
Members per province, for the new Dewan Perwakilan 
Daerah (Council of Regional Representatives); 
Whereas due to Indonesia’s commitment to democratization, 
there will no longer be appointed representatives for the 
military and police within any elected legislative bodies of 
the Republic of Indonesia; 
Whereas the Indonesian market responded positively to the 
elections held on April 5, 2004, rising for 8 consecutive
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days, 5 days before the election, and 3 days afterward, 
with a cumulative gain of 9.1 percent; 
Whereas the 220,000,000 people of Indonesia have progres-
sively emerged from over 40 years of authoritarian rule 
and adopted a democratic system of governance; 
Whereas when so many positive stories in the Muslim world 
are obscured by violent uprisings in areas of historic con-
flict, Indonesia is making progressive political and con-
stitutional reforms, while at the same time demonstrating 
that the fundamental tenants of Islam and democracy are 
not mutually exclusive, and can in fact successfully work 
in tandem; 
Whereas a new generation of democratic participation has 
arisen out of Indonesia’s turbulent past, and Indonesia’s 
friends and neighbors, and the international community 
at large, can only benefit as the country embraces the 
model of a modern democratic state; and 
Whereas Indonesia is an important friend of the United 
States: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) congratulates the people and Government of 
the Republic of Indonesia on successfully completing 
elections on April 5, 2004, for national, provincial, 
and regional parliamentary representatives; 
(2) welcomes and supports political and eco-
nomic transformations achieved by Indonesia as it 
continues toward complete democratization; 
(3) expresses gratitude to the more than 500 
international observers from around the world who
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viewed the elections held on April 5, 2004, in Indo-
nesia, as largely free, fair, and peaceful; and 
(4) urges the growth of friendship and coopera-
tion between the United States and Indonesia as In-
donesia continues down the path of democracy.
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