ARTICLES

19 Jan 2024

The Twin Axis in Indonesian Politics: Elite Personal Ambition and the Alienation of Civil Society

Max Lane

This Long Read argues that a 20-year process of consolidation of a homogeneous political outlook among the parties controlling the Indonesian electoral scene has facilitated a political life that is dominated by personal rivalry and ambitions, and which has opened the way for dynasty building.

17 Jan 2024

Indonesia’s 2024 Presidential Campaigns: Hyper-local and Personal Touchpoints Matter Most

Lee Sue-Ann|Maria Monica Wihardja

A recent survey shows that younger Indonesian voters, like their older fellow citizens, still hold traditional media and in-person conversations in high regard when it comes to learning about the elections and deciding whom to vote for.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics

15 Jan 2024

Will the “China Factor” Become an Election Issue in Indonesia?

Leo Suryadinata|Siwage Dharma Negara

Indonesia’s economic relationship with China is occasionally marred by deadly accidents at Chinese-built and owned industrial sites in the archipelago. Nevertheless, economic cooperation with China is not going to slow down, no matter who wins the election next month.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics

18 Dec 2023

Is the Establishment of a Spiritual Area on the Gadjah Mada Campus Linked to Joko Widodo?

Leo Suryadinata

Universitas Gadjah Mada, one of Indonesia’s top campuses and alma mater of the current president as well as four of the six candidates vying for the 2024 presidency and vice presidency, is constructing worship facilities for all six of Indonesia’s recognised religions.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics Religion

15 Dec 2023

The First Debate Unveils the Character of Indonesia’s 2024 Presidential Campaign

Made Supriatma

The first debate among the three presidential candidates for 2024 underscores a shift in tenor in Indonesia’s politics. Whether this more amicable front lasts as campaign season wears on will depend on the ratings game.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics

14 Dec 2023

The Prabowo-Gibran Pairing: Wise or Foolish?

Burhanuddin Muhtadi|Kennedy Muslim

Polls suggest that Prabowo Subianto’s decision to pick President Jokowi’s son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as his vice-presidential running-mate has been a net positive, despite the controversies and criticisms surrounding the circumstances under which Gibran’s eligibility to contest the polls were approved.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics

Indonesia's election commission on November 13, announced the candidates for next year's presidential vote when the world's third largest democracy is due to pick a successor to incumbent leader Joko Widodo. (Photo by Adek BERRY / AFP)

21 Nov 2023

Human Capital Development Programmes in Indonesia: Electoral Gimmicks or Achievable Promises?

Yanuar Nugroho

A clear-eyed look at the various candidates’ proposals for improving Indonesia’s human capital development suggests that the devil will be in the implementation, not the targets per se.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics

Indonesian Muslims attend the Eid al-Adha prayer at the square of the Great Mosque of Al Azhar, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 28 June 2023. Dasril Roszandi/Anadolu Agency. (Photo by Dasril Roszandi / ANADOLU AGENCY/Anadolu Agency via AFP)

17 Nov 2023

The Dilemma of Political Involvement among Muslim Theologians in Indonesia

Norshahril Saat|Ahmad Muhajir

This Long Read focuses on the political views of a spectrum of Indonesian Islamic theologians, whose support is often sought by political aspirants seeking to raise their religious credentials as election campaigning heats up.

Indonesia Indonesian Politics

President Joko Widodo invited three presidential candidates for the 2024 presidential election -- Anies Baswedan (R), Ganjar Pranowo (L), and Prabowo Subianto (2R) -- to have lunch together at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta. (Photo. by Joko Widodo / Twitter)

9 Nov 2023

The Race is On! Indonesia’s 2024 Presidential Candidates Assessed

Julia Lau|Made Supriatma

It will be a tough fight in next February’s presidential election in Indonesia. There is time for the race odds to shift but the stakes are already clear.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics

Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto (R) and vice presidential candidate Gibran Rakabuming Raka (L), son of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, pose for photographs during the registration for the 2024 election in Jakarta on October 25, 2023. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP)

7 Nov 2023

Out of the “Elektabilitas” Mire Comes the Push for Dynastic Power

Max Lane

The lack of real political difference among the various contenders for the top political job in Indonesia has paved the way for the culture of political dynasties to strengthen. Will this culture win out? The votes will tell.

Indonesia Indonesian Elections Indonesian Politics