The Next Luhut?
The Coalition for Change led by Anies Baswedan has several times criticized the existence of super-minister under Jokowi administration. They’re talking about Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan. While his official position is coordinating minister for maritime and investment affairs, Luhut is widely considered a super-minister with broad range of tasking from the president.
The Race to Become Ganjar’s Running Mate (4)
The Bung Karno event held by the ruling party PDIP over the weekend is worth highlighting because the Party mentioned that the figures being considered as potential running mate for Ganjar Pranowo will be present there. Indeed, some of them were present in the event, but some others such as Erick Thohir and Sandiaga Uno were not. Is this a signal?
Erick Thohir & Football Politics
Everybody is in a happy mood following the decision from the world’s football governing body FIFA to appoint Indonesia for hosting the U-17 World Cup. It can be the cure to public disappointment after losing the rights to host U-20 World Cup earlier. At the same time, it can also boost President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s approval rating and Erick Thohir’s electability.
Update on Ganjar Camp
The House Speaker Puan Maharani mentioned that there will be a surprise during a culminating event of the Bung Karno month, which is scheduled to be held tomorrow (June 24) at the Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta. Puan, the daughter of PDIP’s Chairperson Megawati Soekarnoputri, said that the figures being considered as potential running mate for Ganjar Pranowo, a presidential candidate from PDIP, will be present in the event. So, many wonder whether Ganjar’s running mate will be announced tomorrow during the event.
Update on Anies Camp
The political parties within Anies Baswedan coalition have reportedly agreed on who will be the running mate, which may be announced after Anies’ return from Hajj pilgrimage. Many believe that the running mate will be Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY), the eldest son of the sixth President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY). In the meantime, Denny Indrayana, a lawmaker candidate from SBY’s Democratic Party, caused another controversy by saying he got an information that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will soon name Anies as a graft suspect.
The Race to Become Ganjar’s Running Mate (3)
Muhadjir Effendy lives up to the competition for becoming the running mate of Ganjar Pranowo, a presidential candidate from the ruling party PDIP. Muhadjir, the coordinating minister for Human Development & Culture (Menko PMK) under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, is one of the leaders of the Muhammadiyah, the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia.
Airlangga & the Fourth Axis Idea
The Chairman of Golkar Party Airlangga Hartarto told the press on Wednesday (June 21) that in regard to the next year’s presidential election, he’s still exploring all options, including a possibility of establishing the fourth axis. Will we see a four-horse race in the 2024 presidential election?
Jokowi’s Response to SBY
Today, June 21, is the 62nd birthday anniversary of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo. Interestingly, today is also a Pon Wednesday, which based on a Javanese calendar was the President’s birthday. We all know that Jokowi always announced an important decision on a Pon Wednesday. So, will there be a surprise or something important from the President, including a possible meeting with his predecessor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY)?
A Tendentious Survey (7)
A new electability survey from the Indopol Survey & Consulting found Nasdem, a political party led by media mogul Surya Paloh, at the third position behind the ruling party PDIP and Prabowo Subianto’s Gerindra Party. Another survey from the Indonesia Political Opinion (IPO), meanwhile, found that the electability of Anies Baswedan, a presidential hopeful from Nasdem coalition, was above Ganjar Pranowo and catching up with Prabowo at the top of the poll. These two surveys contrast with the findings from some major pollsters, including Litbang Kompas.
The Wakapolri Race (4)
The competition for becoming the next Vice Chief of the National Police (Wakapolri) is heating up with the current Wakapolri Comr. Gen. Gatot Eddy Pramono retiring next week on June 28. Five three-star police generals have been mentioned as potential candidates to replace Gatot, but who will get the Wakapolri position?