Press Freedom and Political Maneuvering in Indonesia

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Following the profound setback to democratization from Golkar's takeover, constitutional justices undertook a spirited effort to restore competition to regional-head elections -- only for parliament to countermand the court a day later with a Regional Head Election Law revision.  To examine the whiplash-like effects of events, we enlisted the veteran journalist Wahyu Dhyatmika of Tempo - the venerable news group that occupies a central role in documenting Indonesia's political convulsions. We discuss the circumstances of Golkar Chair Airlangga Hartarto's resignation, the ensuing cabinet reshuffle, two momentous Constitutional Court verdicts on 20 August and the legislative reprisal led by Gerindra in parliament.  We assess the prospects for demonstrations, the implications for the legitimacy of the regional‑head election system and the longer-term consequences for the rule-of-law versus "Ruler's Law".  Credit to our intrepid journalist-and-sound engineer Steven Handoko for turning around the audio file in record time and keeping the content fresh!

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