Politics

There is a new development in Golkar Party in relation to this year’s North Sumatera gubernatorial election. Golkar, which already named Muhammad Bobby Afif Nasution (the son-in-law of the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo) as governor candidate, wants to pair Bobby with either Akbar Buchari or Sekar Tandjung instead of Musa Rajek Shah a.k.a Ijeck, the current Vice Governor of North Sumatera. Bobby will compete against Edy Rahmayadi, the incumbent, and perhaps one more governor candidate, depending on the decision from PDIP.

PKB, the largest party in East Java, admitted that the Party is in talks with PDIP, the second largest party in the province, to pair KH Marzuki Mustamar with Tri Rismaharini in the East Java gubernatorial election this year. So, will PKB once again regroup with PDIP? Will Risma run together with Marzuki Mustamar to challenge Khofifah-Emil Dardak, the incumbent pair?

This year’s gubernatorial election in West Java, the largest province in Indonesia, is truly interesting to watch with many high-profile figures eager to enter the race. For example, Ilham Akbar Habibie, the son of the late third President BJ Habibie, has secured the endorsement from Nasdem, a political party led by media mogul Surya Paloh. PDIP, meanwhile, is reportedly considering to endorse Susi Pudjiastuti, former Minister of Marine & Fisheries.

Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the chairman of Democratic Party, and his father, the sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), are supporters of Prabowo-Gibran in the 2024 presidential election. AHY was appointed as the Minister of Agrarian & Spatial Planning (ATR) and the head of the National Land Agency (BPN) by the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo soon after the 2024 election, which was won by Prabowo-Gibran. Some people wonder whether AHY will remain at the ATR/BPN Ministry or he will be given a different portfolio in Prabowo-Gibran’s cabinet.

The upcoming police job rotation that will be instituted by the Chief of the National Police (Kapolri) General Listyo Sigit Prabowo is interesting to watch following the retirement of Comr. Gen. Suntana, the head of the National Police’s Intelligence & Security Body (Kabaintelkam), and some other police generals that will soon enter their mandatory retirement age. So, who will get the promotion?

The city election in Surakarta (Central Java), the hometown of the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his eldest son the Vice President-elect Gibran Rakabuming Raka, is interesting to watch because so many high-profile figures are eager to enter the race this...

Some people are wondering whether Anies Baswedan will regroup with Sandiaga Uno to enter the Jakarta’s 2024 gubernatorial election. Anies-Sandi, as we all know, won the previous Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2017.

The President-elect Prabowo Subianto, who is also the Minister of Defense, had a meeting with the outgoing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the State Palace Jakarta on Thursday (Jun. 13), following the former’s return from overseas visit. Their meeting aside, there are other meetings worth mentioning that went unnoticed by the public.

It’s only two months away ahead of the chairmanship congress of the National Awakening Party (PKB), the fourth largest political party in Indonesia that is strongly affiliated to the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in the country. It seems that Saifullah Yusuf a.k.a Gus Ipul, who once served as the secretary general of PKB, is very eager to challenge Muhaimin Iskandar in the upcoming congress.

Simon Aloysius Mantiri, one of trusted aides of president elect Prabowo Subianto, has just been appointed chairman of state oil and gas company Pertamina. Grace Natalie, known leader of PSI (a party now chaired by Kaesang Pangarep, youngest son of outgoing president Jokowi), meanwhile, has been appointed commissioner of state mining giant MIND ID.