Indonesia In-depth

The 2019 election has ended but the discourse of “election fraud” in Indonesia remains foggy and tends to shun away from the statistical elements that makes up the election itself. The Constitutional Court rejected Prabowo’s challenge to the 2019 presidential election results when he complained of “structural, systematic and massive electoral fraud”, but what does that standard even mean? Why does It matter in a large-scale election like Indonesia’s? How do you actually manipulate the voter list? Ultimately, we ask: what does one need to do in order to rig an election? In this episode, we dive deep into this issue with Seth Sorderborg, an expert on Indonesian elections and a Ph.D candidate in political science at Harvard University.

Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita // Read text version of this episode: www.indonesiaindepth.com  // Say hi to us! Email : [email protected] / Twitter: @IndoIndepth / LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ // We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Music and all podcast apps! // All music and sound effects licensed. / List of Songs: Time to Move – Veshza / Wanderer - Nu Alkemi$t / Connection - Nu Alkemi$t / Crew -  Oboy / Sippy Dip – Nu Alkemi$t / Ya Dig - Yung Koolade / Up Up – 8 Bit Era 

On this “Special International Edition” of Indonesia In-depth - A wave of optimism flowed over Myanmar in 2010 when the military leadership began the slow process of opening up the country and implementing both economic and democratic reforms. At the same time, the government began new efforts to establish peace with more than a dozen armed ethnic minority groups, which has been one of the world’s longest civil wars. This was followed by historic general elections in 2015 and a new government. International leaders lifted sanctions on the country and competed with each other to meet the defacto leader and face of the democratic movement, Aung San Suu Kyi. 

Now, peace negotiations have stalled, new concerns that the economy may not live up to its full potential and reports of genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya have gone unanswered. Suu Kyi has dramatically fallen from grace. What are the major obstacles for the peace negotiations? What might the upcoming election results in 2020 look like? What’s the latest situation with the Rohingya crisis? We discuss these issues and much more with the former Myanmar deputy minister of information and presidential spokesperson, Colonel (ret.) U Ye Htut.

To learn more about U Ye Htut and his insights, check out his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ye-htut-76522a80/ or his Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ye.htut.988 / /

Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita / Read text version of this episode: www.indonesiaindepth.com  / /Say hi to us! Email   : [email protected] / /Twitter: @IndoIndepth / LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ /

We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Music and other podcast players!

All music licensed. 

Presidential contender, Prabowo Subianto and his political coalition, rejected the official presidential election results announced by the General Election Commission (KPU) and filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court citing that “structural, systematic and massive electoral fraud” had occurred. His challenge received quite a bit of attention in both the local/international media and by political observers that believed such a move could escalate political tensions and divide the country.

Despite the hype, media attention and fears of polarization, Prabowo’s decision to appeal the presidential election results in the Court is actually the norm not the exception. Shawn and Tanita shed light on how many of the same political players in power today made the same claims in past elections when the results weren't in their favor.

Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita

Read text version of this episode: www.indonesiaindepth.com 

Say hi to us!

Email : [email protected]

Twitter: @IndoIndepth 

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/

We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Music and all podcast apps!

All music and sound effects licensed. 

We start with this question: Are there any alternatives for borrowers to take loans safely without resorting to predatory loan sharks? But our quest to seek answers reveal how complicated Indonesians’ relationship with loans are. The obstacles with financial inclusivity in the conventional system and the growing online loan services clearly complicate the deeply-rooted loan culture among Indonesians. Join us in this episode with Dr. Chaikal Nuryakin from the Institute for Economic and Social Research at the University of Indonesia (LPEM UI) and Gede Putra Arsana from World Bank, Indonesia. 

Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita / Read text version of this episode: www.indonesiaindepth.com / Say hi to us! Email: [email protected] / Twitter: @IndoIndepth / LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/ / We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Music and other podcast players! / Music and effects are licensed. 

We had the honor and privilege to interview Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, on April 18, 2019, less than 24 hours after the nationwide elections. Kalla is known as prominent businessman turned veteran politician, serving two five-year terms as vice president for two different presidents. He was the critical figure in mediating peace in Aceh along with conflicts in Poso and Ambon and has been called “the peacemaker”. He was also tasked with running the country’s economy during Yudhoyono’s first term. As he is about to complete his second five-year term as vice president, we take a look on his thoughts, insights and legacy regarding Indonesia's progress in the election, the economy, politics and international affairs.   

Some people, primarily among the international community, question whether the 2019 Indonesian elections will be free and fair, void of voter irregularities and/or  violence. But are these concerns well-grounded? Do we need to be worried? Shawn believes that these concerns are reasonable but unfounded. We take a look at Indonesia’s recent history in 1998 and appreciate how far the country has come in terms of its democratic elections. In addition, we will discuss whether the new shift to a concurrent election system will cause major disruptions during the election process itself. | Episode Details: 0.05 - 3.35: Concerns from the international community regarding the Indonesian election | 3.40 - 5.38: History of Indonesia’s democratic reform in 1998; Consequences of Soeharto’s downfall; Military's role in parliament | 6.05 - 7.43: Four Presidents in four years; Democracy and instability | 7.54 - 11.30: The return of a free and fair general election in 1999; Military withdrawal from parliament; Shift from centralised government to regional autonomy | 11.45 - 14.57: Uncertainties after five years of instability; Some longing for the old days of Soeharto| 14.58 - 15.25: Indonesia’s first directly-elected presidential, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono; The first democratically-elected presidential transition in 2014| 15.27 - 18.04: Putting Indonesia’s remarkable democratic progress into context; Response to the concerns of the 2019 election| 18.25 - 21.33: Potential issues with the new simultaneous election | 21.35 - 22.33: Closing | Podcast hosts: Shawn Corrigan & Tanita| Read text version of this episode: www.indonesiaindepth.com| Say hi to us! Email: [email protected]| Twitter: @IndoIndepth | LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-corrigan/| We are also available on Spotify, iTunes, Soundcloud, Google Music and on Amazon’s Alexa!