When 100,000 to 150,000 residents of Pati, Central Java province, filled the streets on August 13, 2025, calling for Regent Sudewo’s resignation, it looked like the perfect storm for a political reckoning. In many democracies, a leader facing that scale of opposition—after a viral public confrontation and a botched policy rollout—would be in immediate danger of losing office. Yet, in Pati, the political machinery remains conspicuously still. To subscribe please click here
