STRATEGIC ASSESSMENT. The NasDem Party and Gerindra continue to enjoy a rise in their popularity, according to a recent opinion poll, while the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has experienced a slight drop, ahead of the 2024 elections.
An Indikator Politik Indonesia survey, which polled some 1,200 respondents in February and March, found that NasDem has an electability of 6.4 percent. The latest figure is a 1.3 percentage point rise in electability compared with a previous Indikator survey in December last year.
Gerindra saw the biggest improvement compared with other parties in the latest survey, jumping from 10.5 percent in December to 14 percent in March, overtaking the Golkar Party in second.
In a hearing of the decision on the alleged violation of the code of ethics, the Election Organizer Ethics Council (DKPP) issued a warning sanction to General Election Commission (KPU) Chair Hasyim Asy’ari as he was deemed unethical.
Hasyim’s remarks on the possibility of reinstating the closed proportional list electoral system at the end of 2022 are perceived as going against the principles of impartiality, accountability, independence, and professionalism as well as creating a public commotion.
Indonesia’s presidential and general elections have been thrown into jeopardy following a surprise ruling to delay voting by a court in Jakarta, prompting widespread condemnation of the shock, and seemingly unconstitutional, decision.
The Central Jakarta District Court ruled earlier this month that the elections – scheduled to take place in February 2024 – should be delayed for two and a half years, meaning that the earliest the elections could go ahead would be in 2025.
President Jokowi said he would soon reshuffle the Onward Indonesia Cabinet. The cabinet shake-up will be conducted to fill the vacant position of Youth and Sports Minister after Zainudin Amali stepped down. “[It’ll be conducted] immediately,” Jokowi said to journalists in Maros Regency, South Sulawesi, Wednesday. When asked for a specific time, he replied, “Soon.”
An iftar gathering between Golkar Party Chair Airlangga Hartarto and leaders of the Coalition for Change and Unity (KPP) over the weekend has sparked speculations of a potential shift in the grand old party’s strategy for the 2024 general elections.
National Democratic (NasDem) Party Central Board Council Chair Willy Aditya said the KPP former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla to discuss Anies’ potential running mate, including East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa.
The speculations intensified after a Golkar executive revealed that during the meeting Airlangga was advised by former vice president Jusuf Kalla, who led Golkar between 2004 and 2009, to join the KPP, which is nominating former Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan for the 2024 presidential race.
While it is no surprise for Kalla to give such an advice, for he is known as a long-time supporter of Anies, Airlangga’s presence at the political gathering, which was attended by all the political leaders from the KPP alliance, was symbolic.
The Democratic Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), and the National Democratic Party (NasDem) formally signed a charter pledging their shared political goals. The three formally established the Change Coalition for Unity, also known as the Change Coalition going forward. They also agreed to endorse Anies Baswedan as a presidential candidate.
State-owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir, who was recently elected chairman of the Soccer Association of Indonesia (PSSI), has experienced a boost in popularity as a potential vice presidential candidate, a recent election survey shows.
The minister is still trailing behind the top two potential candidates, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil and Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sandiaga Uno, but he has enjoyed the highest increase in popularity of all the figures considered in the survey series conducted by polling company Indikator Politik Indonesia.
The latest poll by Indikator Politik Indonesia showed that 73.1 percent of the public was pleased with President Jokowi’s performance, the agency said on Sunday. Respondents were pleased with President Jokowi’s work during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the social assistance program.
Meanwhile, 26 percent of the people were dissatisfied with Jokowi’s performance due to economic problems, such as high commodity prices and lack of jobs.
According to a Kompas study based on a national survey conducted between January 2015 and 2023, the public’s level of trust in institutions established during the Reform era to bolster control mechanisms and limit power is currently trending downward. The three institutions are the Corruption Eradication Commission, Regional Representatives, and Constitutional Court.
When asked about the effectiveness of the three institutions in terms of quality, a number of experts gave critical feedback and concluded that there had been a decline in performance, if not a weakening, of these institutions.
In light of this situation, former constitutional court chief justice Jimly Asshiddiqie said that state institutions’ effectiveness must be assessed. Another former chief justice Hamdan Zoelva shared a similar sentiment, saying that all institutions that are established during the Reform era must undergo an evaluation.
