Regional Election Update: Java
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has just released the results of it most recent surveys on three gubernatorial elections in the Island of Java. According to CSIS, the incumbent candidates in both West Java and Central Java lead the poll, whereas the incumbent in East Java is still struggling to catch up to his rival.
Regional Election Update: South Sulawesi & North Sumatera
The Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) has released the result of its most recent survey on the gubernatorial elections in South Sulawesi and North Sumatera. In South Sulawesi, CSIS found the Golkar Party candidate Nurdin Halid and his running mate Aziz Qahhar Mudzakkar at the top of the poll with 30.6% electability. In second position is Nurdin Abdullah and his running mate Andi Sulaiman with 21.2% electability. Ichsan Yasin Limpo and his running mate, meanwhile, are in the third position with 20.7%. The incumbent candidate Agus Arifin Nu’mang and his running mate Tabribali Lamo are at the bottom fourth with only 9.9% electability.
Jokowi & Consolidation in the Military
The Commander of the Military (TNI) Air Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto has just inaugurated four new military units based in the eastern region of the country. This is a historic moment for the military, with the organization reaching out to strengthen its coverage of the eastern part of the country.
Security Concerns & the 2019 Race
Several bomb attacks were launched during Sunday morning service in three churches in Surabaya, East Java on May 13. The death tally has gone up to 13, with over 40 people injured. On the evening of the same day, an explosion in a low-cost apartment complex in Sidoarjo was reported. Three were announced dead—two casualties of the explosion and one was shot dead by the police. The perpetrators of the Surabaya bombing have been identified as family members, whose patriarch is the leader of the Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD). The bomb the exploded in Sidoarjo also concerns a family, though the Police have not yet said whether or not they’re connected to the JAD. Both incidents happened just a few days after a terror inmates killed five police officers, seized their guns, and took over control of the prison in the Mobile Brigade headquarters (Mako Brimob) complex. Consecutive acts of terror only days apart from one another. With the 18th Asian Games and the 2019 election on the horizon, what can we learn out of this?
The End of the Mako Brimob Prison Riot
The standoff in Mako Brimob that began on Tuesday (May 8) evening ended in the early morning of Thursday (May 10). President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo gave a brief statement, but prior to that, early in the morning after the Police had successfully regained control of the captured prison block, the Deputy Police Chief Syafruddin had already announced the end of the standoff. After Syafruddin made his announcement it was the Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security Wiranto’s turn. He gave his press briefing with the Military Commander Hadi Tjahjanto, the Chief of Intelligence (BIN) Budi Gunawan, the Commander of the Mobile Brigade (Brimob) Rudi Sufahriadi, and the Chief of the Counter-Terrorism Agency (BNPT) Suhardi Alius announcing the end of the drama, while making a very interesting statement.
Regional Election Update: Lampung
The incumbent Governor of Lampung Muhammad Ridho Ficardo, who is also the chairman of Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) Democratic Party for Lampung chapter, is still leading the poll by a significant margin compared to other candidates in the race. The PDIP candidate Herman Hasanusi a.k.a Herman HN, who is also the mayor of Bandar Lampung, is trailing behind in the second position.
Regional Election Update: South Sulawesi
The battle in the South Sulawesi gubernatorial election is between Ichsan Yasin Limpo-Andi Mudzakkar and Nurdin Abdullah-Andi Sulaiman. On Wednesday (May 9) night the four gubernatorial pairs in the South Sulawesi race were facing each other, but the most palpable tension is between the aforementioned pairs.
Mobile Brigade Prison Riot
A riot broke on Tuesday (May 8) evening in the Indonesian National Police’s Mobile Brigade Unit (Brimob) Headquarters’ prison complex. Earlier today, the National Police (POLRI) confirmed that several prisoners were still holding a Brimob officer hostage. POLRI also confirmed that five officers, who were previous held hostage, were killed. And that a prisoner was shot for resisting arrest. As of the time this is article is written, POLRI has not been able to end the hostage situation.
The Case of Palyja and Aetra: New Chapter
It has been over three years since the panel of judges of the Central Jakarta District Court voted in favor of the petition filed by the Coalition Against Water Privatisation in Jakarta, who aimed to stop water privatisation in Jakarta by PT PAM Lyonnaise Jaya (Palyja) and PT Aetra Air Jakarta (Aetra). On the stage of cassation last year, the Supreme Court decided to uphold the verdict. On March 22, 2018, however, the Ministry of Finance oddly decided to file for a Reconsideration against the Supreme Court’s verdict. The Reconsideration petition was filed only a day after the Jakarta provincial government cancelled the plan to sign a restructuring agreement between Palyja, Aetra and PD PAM Jaya.
The AW-101 Procurement Case: New Chapter
Almost a year has gone by since the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced that they had named the President Director of PT Diratama Jaya Mandiri one Irfan Kurnia Saleh a graft suspect in a supposedly problematic procurement of AgustaWestland helicopter. Irfan tried to challenge the KPK’s decision in a pre-trial lawsuit, but failed. The docket of the case, however, has yet to be expedited to the stage of prosecution. We wonder why. In addition to the slow inquisition process, Irfan on behalf of his company, filed a civil lawsuit against the Air Force (TNI-AU), demanding the institution to obey the Sale and Purchase Contract agreed between the parties.