Origins The 2001 Special Session of the
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) resulted in
Megawati Sukarnoputri's election as
Indonesia's president, creating a
vice president vacancy.
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), a candidate, lost to
Hamzah Haz. Yudhoyono's popularity, evident in his vice presidential bid, prompted supporter
Vence Rumangkang to propose forming a party for the 2004 elections. Yudhoyono approved and delegated party formation to Rumangkang. SBY himself did not directly participate in the creation of the party because of his duty as
Coordinating Ministry for Political and Security Affairs, although his wife
Ani Yudhoyono claimed a leadership position. The party was formed by intellectual and academic circles. SBY himself would be involved in the creation of the party's ideology, policy platforms, and even the party's symbols, hymn and march. From 12 to 19 August 2001, Rumangkang, with Yudhoyono's input, finalized the party's outline. With 99 declarators forming the Democratic Party on 9 September 2001 (Yudhoyono's 52nd birthday), the Democratic Party was declared, registered at the
Ministry of Law and Human Rights on 10 September 2001, and
Subur Budhisantoso was elected party chairman.
2004–2014: The Yudhoyono administration and largest party status The party won 7.5% share of votes and won 57 out of 560 seats in the
People's Representative Council (DPR) in the
2004 legislative election and finished in fifth place overall. The party nominated Yudhoyono as its presidential candidate, with
Jusuf Kalla as the vice presidential candidate. In this, they were also supported by the
Crescent Star Party and
Indonesian Justice and Unity Party. Yudhoyono and Kalla won the first round of elections in July 2004 with 33.6% of the votes and would go on to win 60.1% in the run-offs, thereby securing Yudhoyono's election as president. In May 2005, the party held its first party congress, during which
Hadi Utomo was elected as chairman. Nevertheless, the highest authority in the Party remained with Yudhoyono, who was elected was chairman of the Advisory Board (''''). The party came first in the
2009 legislative election with 20.9 percent of the votes, making it the largest party in the DPR, with 148 seats, just over one quarter of the total. Yudhoyono won the election, with former governor of
Bank Indonesia,
Boediono, as vice presidential candidate, with a total tally of 60.8% in first round of
runoff system election, beating former president Megawati and incumbent vice-president Kalla. After the resignation of
Anas Urbaningrum, the party held an extraordinary congress on 30 March 2013 in
Bali to fill the chairmanship. Yudhoyono ran unopposed and was unanimously elected after no other party members decided to run. For the
2014 legislative election, the party set a target of 15% of the national vote, less than its 2009 share. One reason the party expected its vote to fall was that Yudhoyono would not able to run for president, having served the two terms allowed for in the
constitution. The party managed to gain 7.77% of the vote, losing some seats in the legislature. On 15 March 2020,
Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), who had previously commanded the Joint Task Command (Kogasma) during the 2019 general election, was elected as the new chairman, replacing his father. On 5 March 2021, an unauthorized extraordinary congress in
Deli Serdang convened by some party members elected
Moeldoko as the new chairman, contrary to the 2020 congress that elected AHY as the chairman until 2025. Former chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono opposed the congress, arguing it was unlawful, as neither the party's high council nor majority of its regional branches had requested it. AHY claimed Moeldoko's election was illegal, asserting himself as the legitimate party leader. On 31 March 2021, the government confirmed the extraordinary congress result as illegitimate, affirming AHY as the rightful chairman of the party. Entering the beginning of 2023, the Democratic Party through its decision chose to nominate
Anies Baswedan to become a presidential candidate. Apart from that, the Democrats also nominated their general chairman, Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, to be Anies' running mate. However shockingly, Anies selected
Muhaimin Iskandar from the
National Awakening Party (PKB) after the latter left
Prabowo Subianto's
Advanced Indonesia Coalition. As the result of Muhaimin's appointment as Anies' running mate, AHY and the Democratic Party withdrew their support and left their coalition. After their exit, the Democratic Party was approached by
PDI-P who is hoping for AHY to back Ganjar Pranowo as
Hasto Kristiyanto claimed intense communications are underway. The Democrats also got approached by the
Advanced Indonesia Coalition as Prabowo held a meeting together with his father in Cikeas. After many considerations, on 21 September 2023 in
Jakarta Convention Center, AHY and the Democratic Party declared to back Prabowo Subianto in his presidential campaign. Ironically, both AHY and Moeldoko supported the same candidate for the
2024 presidential election. ==Political identities==