Reformasi Dispatch

Four friends of the pod chime in on how they see 2024 unfolding: human rights analyst Andreas Harsono, renewables expert Fabby Tumiwa, environmental scientist Katherine Hassan and Eurasia Group Southeast Asia Director Peter Mumford.  At the start of the new year, they outline the opportunities and stakes in their respective fields, touch on elections, the economy, energy and sustainability. Jeff and Kevin add their own musings and recap poll findings and developments ahead of the 14 February first-round presidential contest.

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How resilient are the independent democratic institutions in Indonesia's current election process?  A chief monitor of electoral agencies, Khoirunissa of the pro-democracy NGO Perludem, examines campaign finance issues, enforcement of rules on gender equality and preparations for conducting candidate debates.  She also takes note of changing roles for key institutions that civil-society organizations (CSOs) had in the past supported as champions -- and points out that CSOs must now remain "alert."  Also in this episode: Jeff and Kevin discuss latest poll data and Ganjar's prolonged struggle to delineate an electoral position.

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Human rights and the rule-of-law received rare scrutiny in a well-conducted first debate.  Awkward moments occurred for Prabowo Subianto, but new polling shows him very well cushioned.  Also discussed: a bill to end Jakarta governor elections, with bewilderingly broad support; and ministers narrowly avert (for now) a broad-backed effort to boost Anwar Usman and perhaps restore him as Constitutional Court chief justice.  And in memoriam: the passing of Southeast Asia's longest-serving foreign correspondent, John McBeth, dearly departed at age 79.

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Gibran Rakabuming's VP nomination triggered a poll swing.  Author and Chatham House Asia-Pacific Director Ben Bland joins the pod to lend perspective.  Also: Ganjar's remarks on reformasi and President Widodo's  fireside chat with Joe Biden.

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After a verdict favoring the president's son, the president's brother-in-law lost his post as Constitutional Court chief justice for having egregiously violated ethics.  To examine the details of the Ethics Panel ruling, Reformasi Dispatch consulted Bivitri Susanti, a prominent constitutional law expert with Jentera University.  The ruling cites Anwar Usman for failing to recuse, mishandling administration and, most brazenly, miscategorizing two of the court's nine opinions -- thereby converting a 6-3 ruling against into a 5-4 ruling in favor. Bivitri discusses what might now ensue through a new case, #141, and the implications for the General Election Commission (KPU) and the presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming.

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Megawati visted her father's mausoleum in Blitar and, perhaps having drawn inspiration, permitted party officials immediately thereafter to uncork zingers aimed at Gibran and Prabowo -- whom Djarot Hidayat now calls the 'Neo New Order'.  Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications for the election - both legislative and presidential. 

Also, background for the forthcoming Ethics Panel decision on Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman and its implications -- as well as observations from Steven ('Unmuted') Handoko on his visit to the Support Palestine Rally addressed by Anies Baswedan.

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A series of constitutional court decisions last week regarding age requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates have carved out a loophole seemingly tailor made for President Joko Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the mayor of Solo. Anyone seeking the highest or second highest office in the land must be 40 years old, according to a 2017 law. The court last week said the minimum age does not apply to anyone who has been elected to public office. As a result Rakabuming, 36, registered as vice presidential candidate alongside Prabowo Subianto last week. Kevin and Jeff discuss the backlash among civil society.

The chief justice of the court is President Widodo's brother in law his ruling coming just days before the deadline to register explicitly favours his nephew. Kevin argues there is real concern whether Indonesia's two decade long experiment with democracy may have run its course. Seth Soderborg joins Jeff in the second half of the show to argue that Rakabuming's role as VP candidate is to give Widodo sway in the Prabowo campaign as the defence minister and two time former candidate attempts to shed his image as a conservative firebrand and tap into Widodo's base of religious moderates. At this stage, the election appears to be Prabowo's to lose. Only question is will Indonesia's voters play along?

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200 civil-society groups decried a re-writing of Indonesia's Election Law enabling the president's son to stand for vice presodent.  Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications and why there is hesitation about a Prabowo-Rakabuming ticket.  Also: Ganjar chooses Mahfud and police pursue the KPK.

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Agricultural exports have been in focus and the podcast enlists an expert on sustainability science to share his experiences across the archipegalo wth cultivators of coffee, cocoa, palm oil and rubber.  He addresses opportunities afforded by the controversial EU Deforestation Regulation and longer-term implications of rising temperatures.   Also: Jeff and Kevin cover recent campaigning as well as the outlook for politics ahead of a momentous Constitutional Court ruling on VP nominee age limits.  Plus, implications of the Hamas‑Israel conflict for Indonesia's foreign relations. 

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Live from Jakarta! Dr Thomas Loidl, Austria’s ambassador to Indonesia joins the pod as Reformasi Dispatch records its 100th episode in front of a capacity audience at the Austrian Embassy. Kevin and Jeff talk with Ambassador Loidl about why Indonesia’s elections matter, the threat of disinformation. Kevin sets the stage for Pemilu 2024. And a pop quiz uncovers a shocking lack of familiarity with the Sound of Music among embassy staff. All this plus audience Q&A!

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