The Campaign Trails
Prison has not put an end to the ambition of the Editor-in-Chief of the slanderous Obor Rakyat tabloid Setiyardi Budiono. He confirmed the news that the tabloid would be reborn. A press conference held on the matter will be held today (Mar. 8). In the meantime, a group of volunteers named Relawan Jokowi (Rejo) led by Erman Suparno, a former minister under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has launched a mobile application (app) to help President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo fight hoaxes.
The 2019 Legislative Election: Islamic Parties
After the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election was held, many wondered whether the rise of hardline Islamic groups would increase the vote of Islamic political parties, especially those associated with the 212 anti-Ahok movement such as PKS, PAN, and PBB. All polling agencies have so far found the decline of Islamic parties in the 2019 legislative election. Most of them might even be excluded from the House of Representatives (DPR) for not securing enough votes to pass the parliamentary threshold.
The Trend
Polling agency LSI Denny JA have released the result of their latest electability survey. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running mate KH Ma’ruf Amin (Jokowi-Amin) emerged as the leaders of the race. The pair have consistently been leading the race over their competitors Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno (Prabowo-Sandi). Will this trend continue?
Political Outlook
We’re officially 41 days to the election booth. There are efforts allegedly designed to delegitimize the election and its results, but the government, national police, and the military seem solid enough to maintain political and security stability ahead and aftermath of April 17 election. Series of key appointments in the national police and military in the past two years contributed to this.
The 2019 Legislative Election
The Democratic Party, led by former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), has set an ambitious target of collecting 15% of the votes in the 2019 legislative election, which is bigger than the votes that the Party secured in the 2014 legislative election. The problem is that all polling agencies have found the Party suffering from a declining trend of electability.
The Campaign Trails
The two presidential pairs—President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running mate KH Ma’ruf Amin (Jokowi-Amin), and Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno (Prabowo-Sandi)—were busy collecting supports over the weekend. Prabowo-Sandi, moreover, launched a mobile application to collect data from every polling station (TPS) all over the country.
The Latest Electability Figures
The polling agency Cyrus Network has just released the result of their latest electability survey on the presidential contenders. Cyrus found that incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and his running mate KH Ma’ruf Amin (Jokowi-Amin) are still leading the race by a significant margin over Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno (Prabowo-Sandi).
The Campaign Trails
Today, Mar. 1, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo is expected to visit the Gorontalo province, while his running mate KH Ma’ruf Amin continues to tour West Java. In the meantime, Prabowo also campaigned in the capital city after returning from his political tour in East Java and Yogyakarta.
Bawaslu Talk the Talk
The Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) asked everyone to be wise following the rise of hoaxes on social media platforms, but the Bawaslu should remember that they have authority to do things beyond talking.
Jokowi & the NU
While Prabowo Subianto continues associating himself with hardline Muslim groups, President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo continues his romance with the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which is also the largest Muslim organization in the country. The President attended the national congress (Munas) and the big conference (Konbes) of the ulema of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in West Java yesterday (Feb. 27). Also present in the event were Jokowi’s running mate KH Ma’ruf Amin, who is also a former Rais A’am (supreme leader) of the NU; the Chairman of PBNU Said Aqil Siradj; and come cabinet members such as the Minister of State Secretary Pratikno; Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saefudin; and Minister of Maritime & Fishery Susi Pudjiastuti.