Upping the Ante Lowering the Anti

THE solution to the morass caused by the nomination of Police Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan as the national police chief is a clear example of how political solutions never seem to please everyone. Joko Widodo should be commended for withdrawing Budi Gunawan's nomination, a move that opposed the oligarchs supporting the president.

Even so, President Jokowi's solutionannounced after the controversy had dragged on for more than a monthis hard to understand. It is evident that it is nothing more than a quick fix and unlikely to be able to repair the damage that has been done.

February 24, 2015