A ‘golden Indonesia’ will need to embrace meritocracy
2024 Indonesian Elections, Policy in Focus, SocietyThe topic of meritocracy has been thrust into the spotlight again since the controversy surrounding the appointment of Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, as the running mate of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto. If Indonesia wants to be a developed nation by 2045, it needs to get rid of nepotism and adopt the meritocratic systems of many developed nations.
Indonesian military back in the bureaucracy: the return of dual function?
2024 Indonesian Elections, LawOn 2 October, Indonesia passed a new civil service law – known as the ASN law – that reopens the door for the police and military to again take a more active role in Indonesian politics. With a presidential election just around the corner, does this new law signal impending electoral interference?
How will Indonesia’s dangdut stars shape the 2024 election?
2024 Indonesian Elections, Arts, SocietySince the 1970s, Indonesian politicians have used dangdut music as a tool to attract a crowd. Dangdut politics in 2024 is shaping up as a generational contest. The so-called King of Dangdut, Rhoma Irama, will be there again. But a wave of social media savvy dangdut stars will also make their mark.
A twist in Indonesia’s presidential election does not bode well for the country’s fragile democracy
2024 Indonesian Elections, Law, PoliticsOn Valentine’s Day next year, Indonesia will go to the polls for its most important election in ten years.After months of uncertainty, Jokowi and his circle have come out strongly in support for Prabowo, with Jokowi’s son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, announced as his vice presidential running mate in recent days.
Indonesian tycoons: donation strategy for the 2024 election
2024 Indonesian Elections, Economy, Political partiesThere are no official statistics on the cost of presidential campaigns in Indonesia but official campaign reports are far below informed estimates. For Indonesia's business tycoons, political donations might be the most important investment decisions they make over the next five years.
The PKB-PKS coalition: don’t underestimate a unified Islamic community in 2024
2024 Indonesian Elections, Political parties, ReligionThe union of the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) under the banner of the Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Amin presidential ticket has defied expectations. It is easy to see PKB and PKS as being at opposite ends of a traditionalist-modernist political spectrum. But when we take a longer view of history we can see these different religious orientations do not always preclude collaboration.
Kaesang and PSI: diversifying the family dynasty
2024 Indonesian Elections, Political partiesThe youngest son of President Joko Widodo has officially joined the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI). How will the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Jokowi’s official party, react to Kaesang's new affiliation with PSI? And what does this mean for Jokowi’s influence in 2024 and beyond?
The Anies-Muhaimin Candidacy: mutual desperation or marriage of convenience?
2024 Indonesian Elections, PoliticsThe Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar candidacy for the upcoming 2024 presidential election stitches together a disparate patchwork of ideological and religious interests. Virdika Rizky Utama dissects how this announcement impacts the political calculus in 2024.
2024 elections: the third candidate, Anies Baswedan
2024 Indonesian Elections, Elections, PoliticsRecent opinion polls indicate Anies Baswedan is unlikely to make the run-off in the 2024 presidential elections. But, regardless, he seems determined to stay in the running. Helen Pausacker explores who is Anies Baswedan, and why is he so determined to stay in the race?