INDONESIA’S parliament voted yesterday to scrap direct regional elections, rolling back democratic gains won since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1998.

A coalition of right-wing parties angered at the victory of reformer Joko Widodo in the recent presidential election combined to block elections for mayors, regents and governors.

The vote will see the country revert to the model used prior to 2005, in which regional legislatures chose local leaders.

Critics say the old system entrenched corruption and inefficiency — and its revival is a bid to plunge the country back towards Suharto’s authoritarian model.

The late dictator ruled for 31 years after overthrowing progressive president Sukarno and initiating a purge of communists and leftwingers that left more than half a million dead.

Outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono faced popular condemnation after he claimed to support direct elections — but led his party in walking out of parliament ahead of the vote, allowing them to be scrapped.

He denies acting to boost losing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto — a Suharto-era general whose “red and white” coalition was behind the bill.

Supporting parties said that direct elections were very expensive and argued that the new system was no less corrupt than the old.

But democracy campaigners said that agreements on campaign finance regulations could cut costs.

Figures like president-elect Widodo came to power through direct elections, they said, weakening the grip on power of Establishment parties.

Activists said they would challenge the change at the Constitutional Court.