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Indonesia in 2022: Post-COVID Recovery Meets New Global Challenges
- Edited by Thi Ha Hoang, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, Daljit Singh, ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute
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- Book:
- Southeast Asian Affairs 2023
- Published by:
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Published online:
- 27 February 2024
- Print publication:
- 31 March 2023, pp 107-123
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Summary
The year 2022 marked the second year of Indonesia's economic recovery after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the economic, health and social scourges of the pandemic, Indonesia also felt the effects of the war in Ukraine. As has been the case for many other countries, rising fuel and food prices brought into sharp focus the need to prioritize food security through both domestic measures and international diplomacy. Indeed, 2022 was the year for Indonesia, and President Joko Widodo (also known as Jokowi), to make its mark on the international stage with the hosting of the Group of Twenty (G20), where it could raise the issues of food security, environmental protection and economic growth. With the controversial passing of the new criminal code, however, Indonesia's successes will be tempered by questions about the quality of its democratic institutions as it moves into a heated campaigning season ahead of the 2024 elections.
Election Ferment and Jokowi's Legacy
Election ferment for the 2024 polls was on the rise in 2022. Several prominent figures indicated their interest in running in the presidential race, with some already securing major party endorsements. These include Jokowi's former rival and current defence minister Prabowo Subianto, the recent governor of Jakarta Anies Baswedan, and Central Java governor Ganjar Pranowo. Popular vicepresidential candidates include minister of tourism and creative economy Sandiaga Uno, minister of state-owned enterprises (SOE) Erick Thohir, West Java governor Ridwan Kamil, Democrat Party chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (the eldest son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono), and Speaker of the House of Representatives Puan Maharani (the daughter of Megawati Sukarnoputri, another former president and the current chair of the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle [PDI-P]).
For the most part, Indonesian politics in 2022 was marked by expediency and flexibility over strict loyalties. With the popularity of Jokowi and of other political figures who have made their mark as capable technocratic managers, solid track records are likely to appeal to Indonesian voters. Jokowi's party, the PDI-P, was the only party in the 2019 elections that won the required twenty per cent of legislative seats to be allowed to unilaterally nominate a presidential ticket in 2024.
Indonesia in 2018: The Calm before the Election Storm
- from INDONESIA
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- By Natalie Sambhi, doctoral student at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University, focussing on Indonesian military history.
- Edited by Daljit Singh, Malcolm Cook
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- Book:
- Southeast Asian Affairs 2019
- Published by:
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Published online:
- 07 September 2019
- Print publication:
- 10 April 2019, pp 123-144
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Summary
The year 2018 marked twenty years since the resignation of Soeharto and the onset of democratic reform in Indonesia. In 1998, Indonesia's leaders faced an ailing economy rife with corruption, domestic instability and student protests, with predictions of “Balkanization” amidst threats of separatism. Today, it is worth reflecting on the state of the country as a relatively consolidated democratic system with a separate police force and vibrant press, particularly when compared to other Southeast Asian states. It is inevitable that today's achievements are weighed against Indonesia's previously dire circumstances, having emerged from the East Asian financial crisis and domestic political turmoil. At the same time, Indonesia's progress is also measured by the hopes and expectations of Indonesians (for those not too cynical) that their new leaders will transcend some of the most odious features of the Soeharto regime. Seen in that light, the country's democratic shine is tarnished by the seemingly never-ending high-profile corruption cases and entrenched money politics. The year saw the jailing of former speaker of the House of Representatives and former Golkar chair Setya Novanto for stealing US$170 million (2.3 trillion rupiah) of public monies.
The year was also a last push for the incumbent president to prove that his programme of national development had made significant gains. In 2018 the key task of President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) was to keep the country on an even keel leading up to the 2019 presidential election. He faced a number of domestic challenges, from the Surabaya terrorist attacks, which saw children being used in suicide bombings for the first time, to the slew of major natural disasters in the second half of the year. The economy was rocked by volatile oil prices and the fallout from a trade war between the world's largest economies, the United States and China, which led to the precipitous fall of the nation's currency. What follows is an overview of the key trends and major developments that shaped the largest state in Southeast Asia in 2018. The first section discusses the significance of Ma'ruf Amin as Jokowi's running mate and what it reveals about the prevailing political environment.