This morning (of Jan. 2, 2019), President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo was supposed to make Lieutenant General Doni Monardo the new Chief of the National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) to replace the retired Rear Admiral Willem Rampangilei, but the event has been postponed. The State Secretary Pratikno told the Press that the President was to attend an event in Lampung instead. The President’s Staffer Johan Budi confirmed the postponement. But since the news has spread, and given that Johan Budi confirmed the postponement, let’s consider General Doni Monardo’s likely job change.  

On Friday (Dec. 28) last week the General Election Commission (KPU) told the press that seven of the eight panelists for the first presidential debate (Jan. 17) has accepted the role. Of the seven names, one in particular has sparked some debate. That name is Bambang Widjojanto.

We will have few days of break for New Year holidays, but politicians will continue to capitalize on whatever issues come up. Campaigns will likely be accelerating in two weeks time, especially ahead of the first presidential debate scheduled January 17. Jokowi and Ma’ruf are in Jakarta at the moment, while Prabowo and Sandiaga are out there in Ambon (Maluku) and Solo (Central Java) respectively.

Hary Tanoesoedibjo made a shocking move in 2017. For a long time, he played the opposition card vis-a-vis President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, but in the said year he made a u-turn and became a Jokower. Ever since then market players have been wondering if the media mogul has made the right bet. Would his business (MNC Group) benefit if Jokowi were re-elected? What is Hary Tanoe’s real objective?

Priyo Budi Santoso, former Golkar politician, who is now deputy chairman of Tommy Soeharto’s Berkarya Party, claimed that Aksa Mahmud, brother-in-law of VP Jusuf Kalla, is helping Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign for 2019 race. This is not surprising even though Kalla is advisor of national campaign team of Jokowi-Ma’ruf. 

There has been increasing news coverage on the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) after its leaders explicitly addressed its policy on what some see as sensitive issues. PSI Chairwoman Grace Natalie Louisa told an audience on December 11, 2018 that her Party would not accept polygamy. Her colleagues followed suit and affirmed the Party’s stance on said matter. Later on, Grace also made it clear that the PSI rejects syariah bylaws. What is PSI’s end game?

President Jokowi recently visited the Regency Tana Toraja of South Sulawesi. The President was present to attend a Christmas celebration with thousands of locals. It was a scene typical of a Jokowi visit, with a significant public presence greatly overwhelming the security preparations, but that did not scare the President, if anything, being in a sea of people is what fuels his engine. The Governor of South Sulawesi Nurdin Abdullah, who was there to accompany the President, was enamored by the spectacle. He made sure the world knows his feelings by capturing the moment, uploading it on Instagram, and adding a caption that shows just how much he’s a fan of Jokowi.   

As we’ve reported before, hundreds of people rallied in front the Chinese Consulate in Medan, and the Chinese Embassy in South Jakarta on Friday (Dec. 21) last week. They protested against the Chinese Government’s treatment of the Uyghur Islamic Minority in Xinjiang. CNN Indonesia reported that they could hear the masses attending the protest in Jakarta chanting “change the President”. This isn’t surprising, but what we need to discuss is the Uyghur issue being used to advance a certain domestic political interest. Vicious minds—they don’t necessarily have to be associated with the groups staging the aforementioned protests—can turn a defend-Uyghur campaign into a violent, sinophobic assault. It’s a possibility that we must consider.

After news broke earlier this month that employees of PT Istaka Karya, one of the contractors working on the Trans Papua road, had been killed by an armed group in Nduga, Papua, the Nation was stunned. Of the 25 employees of PT Istaka Karya working on the construction site, 19 were found dead, four managed to escape, and two were missing. It’s a massacre that brought to fore the name that many Indonesians know but have not heard of in recent days: the Free Papua Movement (OPM).