Reformasi Dispatch

Gibran Rakabuming's VP nomination triggered a poll swing.  Author and Chatham House Asia-Pacific Director Ben Bland joins the pod to lend perspective.  Also: Ganjar's remarks on reformasi and President Widodo's  fireside chat with Joe Biden.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

After a verdict favoring the president's son, the president's brother-in-law lost his post as Constitutional Court chief justice for having egregiously violated ethics.  To examine the details of the Ethics Panel ruling, Reformasi Dispatch consulted Bivitri Susanti, a prominent constitutional law expert with Jentera University.  The ruling cites Anwar Usman for failing to recuse, mishandling administration and, most brazenly, miscategorizing two of the court's nine opinions -- thereby converting a 6-3 ruling against into a 5-4 ruling in favor. Bivitri discusses what might now ensue through a new case, #141, and the implications for the General Election Commission (KPU) and the presidential ticket of Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

Megawati visted her father's mausoleum in Blitar and, perhaps having drawn inspiration, permitted party officials immediately thereafter to uncork zingers aimed at Gibran and Prabowo -- whom Djarot Hidayat now calls the 'Neo New Order'.  Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications for the election - both legislative and presidential.  Also, background for the forthcoming Ethics Panel decision on Constitutional Court Chief Justice Anwar Usman and its implications -- as well as observations from Steven ('Unmuted') Handoko on his visit to the Support Palestine Rally addressed by Anies Baswedan.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

A series of constitutional court decisions last week regarding age requirements for presidential and vice presidential candidates have carved out a loophole seemingly tailor made for President Joko Widodo's eldest son, Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the mayor of Solo. Anyone seeking the highest or second highest office in the land must be 40 years old, according to a 2017 law. The court last week said the minimum age does not apply to anyone who has been elected to public office. As a result Rakabuming, 36, registered as vice presidential candidate alongside Prabowo Subianto last week. Kevin and Jeff discuss the backlash among civil society. The chief justice of the court is President Widodo's brother in law his ruling coming just days before the deadline to register explicitly favours his nephew. Kevin argues there is real concern whether Indonesia's two decade long experiment with democracy may have run its course. Seth Soderborg joins Jeff in the second half of the show to argue that Rakabuming's role as VP candidate is to give Widodo sway in the Prabowo campaign as the defence minister and two time former candidate attempts to shed his image as a conservative firebrand and tap into Widodo's base of religious moderates. At this stage, the election appears to be Prabowo's to lose. Only question is will Indonesia's voters play along?Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

200 civil-society groups decried a re-writing of Indonesia's Election Law enabling the president's son to stand for vice presodent.  Jeff and Kevin discuss the implications and why there is hesitation about a Prabowo-Rakabuming ticket.  Also: Ganjar chooses Mahfud and police pursue the KPK.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

Agricultural exports have been in focus and the podcast enlists an expert on sustainability science to share his experiences across the archipegalo wth cultivators of coffee, cocoa, palm oil and rubber.  He addresses opportunities afforded by the controversial EU Deforestation Regulation and longer-term implications of rising temperatures.   Also: Jeff and Kevin cover recent campaigning as well as the outlook for politics ahead of a momentous Constitutional Court ruling on VP nominee age limits.  Plus, implications of the Hamas‑Israel conflict for Indonesia's foreign relations.  Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

Live from Jakarta! Dr Thomas Loidl, Austria’s ambassador to Indonesia joins the pod as Reformasi Dispatch records its 100th episode in front of a capacity audience at the Austrian Embassy. Kevin and Jeff talk with Ambassador Loidl about why Indonesia’s elections matter, the threat of disinformation. Kevin sets the stage for Pemilu 2024. And a pop quiz uncovers a shocking lack of familiarity with the Sound of Music among embassy staff. All this plus audience Q&A!Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

Jonathan Head, BBC's veteran Southeast correspondent, joins Reformasi Dispatch to discuss Asean's coping with super‑power rivalry in a 'post‑globalization' framework. He highlights conditions in Myanmar, the importance of Indonesia's diplomatic efforts via Asean, and EVs in SE Asia. Jeff and Kevin cover sudden shifts in Indonesia's presidential nominating alliances and the VP sweepstakes maneuvers.

Indonesia's foreign policy is even freer and more active than usual, as President Joko Widodo negotiates the G20, Asean, IPEF, Aukus, the OECD, Brics and other acronyms.  On the eve of Asean's Jakarta Summit and in the wake of Widodo's address to Brics, the pod consults foreign policy expert Dewi Fortuna (of the Habibie Center and the National Research and Innovation Agency or 'Brin') who sets forth her "Hedging Plus" description of Indonesia's approach.  Also: Jeff and Kevin discuss Ganjar's partial polling recovery and his recent campaign-trail performance.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!

The Indonesia analyst for the Helsinki-based NGO Crea joins the Reformasi Dispatch podcast to cut through the haze concerning the world's worst smog.  We examine SO2, NOx and 2.5ug particulates in Jakarta's 'airshed' and consider the urgency of revamping regulations on coal.  While the issue pits coal-related interests against considerations of public health -- and official pronouncements tend to defend coal while faulting the transportation sector -- we ask where policymakers' priorities actually lie.  Also in this episode: Ganjar catches up in polls and Golkar's former chair wins early release from prison.Get our special episode on the 4th Presidential Debate on:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/reformasi/extrasIt takes a lot of money to run a podcast. You need subscription fees for hosting, audio recording services, editor's salary and music licensing. Luckily, you, estemeed listeners of Reformasi Dispatch podcast can help us.You can donate to us on buymeacoffee.com/reformasi and help us grow!