THE cellphone of Constitutional Court Chief Justice, Mohammad Mahfud, 52, would not stop ringing. The text messages also kept piling up. Almost all of them were congratulatory greetings sent to Mahfud, who is also a politician, academic, artist, student and even a kiai or an Islamic religious leader. “Even Rhoma Irama (popular ‘king’ of dangdut music—Ed.) congratulated me,” said Mahfud, looking delighted.

The wave of congratulations ca