The 2019 Race Recap
We’re officially less than four months to the election booth. Still too long to predict the outcome even though incumbent Jokowi maintains the lead. There will be more external and internal factors affecting the race. USA-China trade war, falling crude oil, weak prices of palm oil, natural rubber, trade deficit, and weak rupiah are among the factors.
Prabowo-Sandi’s Vague Campaign Video
On Friday (Dec. 14), the Gerindra Party’s official Youtube account GerindraTV published a campaign video of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Sandiaga Uno (Prabowo-Sandi). The video targets young Indonesian graduates struggling with unemployment.
Ahok’s Return
Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama is going to be a free man this coming January 2019. The former governor of Jakarta remains the subject of interest despite having been in jail since May 2017. He still has plenty of loyal supporters, but the question is whether he will return to politics after the bruising journey he had to go through as a suspect of blasphemy.
The 2019 Race: Haji Isam & Tomy Winata
Drajad Wibowo, deputy chairman of honorary board of National Mandate Party (PAN), is quoted by tempo.co questioning the relationship between controversial coal businessman Haji Andi Syamsuddin Arsyad, popular as Haji Isam, and the decision of PAN’s provincial chapter of South Kalimantan to support Jokowi-Ma’ruf ticket in 2019 race.
A Saudi Blunder?
The Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia His Excellency Dr. Osama bin Mohammed A-Shuaibi has been under the spotlight for a message he had allegedly posted on the social media platform Twitter. In said post, the Ambassador supposedly alluded to the GP Ansor as a deviant organization. GP Ansor is the youth organization of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in the Republic of Indonesia. And so in reaction to Ambassador Osama’s Twitter post, the Central Leadership of the NU (PBNU) and GP Ansor held a press conference last week demanding an explanation and apology from the Ambassador.
A Red Alert for OSO and Hanura?
The House of Representatives (DPR) has sworn in four lawmakers for the Hanura Party—after some of the Party’s lawmakers had decided to leave them behind for the Nasdem Party. In the meantime, Hanura’s Chairman Oesman Sapta Odang (OSO) might fail to enter the 2019 legislative election. The General Election Commission (KPU) has the option to cancel his candidacy for the Regional Representative Council (DPD).
The Lady Luck for Jokowi?
President Joko ‘Jokowi’ Widodo was considered lucky in the first three years of his tenure because of the low crude prices. He shifted most of energy subsidies to infrastructure development. In the run up to next year’s election, some seem to believe that his luck on the economic front have run out with high oil price, trade deficit, current account deficit, and falling rupiah.
The New Pangkostrad & Jokowi’s Consolidation of Power
Maj. Gen. Besar Harto Karyawan is the new Commander of the Army Strategic Command (Pangkostrad). General Harto replaced Andika Perkasa, who was made Army Chief of Staff (Kasad) last week. With the promotion, General Harto earned his third star. In the meantime, Brig. Gen. Maruli Simanjuntak, the son-in-law of General (ret) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan (who is widely believed as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s right hand-man) has been made as the new Commander of the Presidential Guard (Danpaspampres). This is a consolidation of power at its fullest.
Ahok’s Future & Politics
The former Governor of Jakarta Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama will finish his prison sentence in early next year. The once glorious and outspoken politician, as we all know, was sentenced to two years imprisonment for blasphemy. The biggest question now is whether he will return to politics.
More Names for the Pangkostrad Position
The Army Strategic Command (Kostrad), an elite force of the Indonesian military (TNI), is still in need of a new commander after its previous commander, General Andika Perkasa, was made the Army Chief of Staff. We’ve talked about some of the names that could be potential Commander of the Army Strategic Command (Pangkostrad) candidates, but there are more names to consider.