Policy breakthroughs are needed to restore public trust in the Constitutional Court.

Arranging for his son to run for the vice-presidency is a manifestation of Jokowi’s paranoia and lack of self-belief. Something that is personal has wrecked democracy.

Why big political parties struggle in leadership regeneration.

Muhaimin Iskandar will be Anies Baswedan's running mate. This adds to the electoral political tension and apathy.

KITLV researcher Ward Berenschot on oil palm land conflicts and Indonesia’s informal politics that benefits the economic elites.

Jokowi is expressing stronger support for Prabowo Subianto. What happened in the Philippines could potentially happen here.

After a quarter of a century, the movement for change that was supported by students and ordinary people has faded away without any significant improvements. Activists are now trapped under the feet of those in power.

Pro-democracy groups printed underground flyers to support the students in the 1998 Reformasi. They were pursued by authorities.

Cigarette advertisements in the Health Bill. Is it likely to be removed?

The ASEAN Summit at Labuan Bajo did not produce any important agreements. It was just an expensive neighborly chat.

The dispute between Surya Paloh and Jokowi becomes more intense. There is no benefit to the people from this strained relationship.

In the The Drama of Sambo, it turns out that one important element in democracy (often forgotten) can actually be upheld: the armed forces, which are given the right to monopoly of violence, bow before those who hold authority without arms.

The KPU gives the green light to political parties that do not meet the factual verification requirements. This damages democracy.

A number of articles in the new Criminal Code move Indonesia further away from a being a modern democratic nation. It is a perfect collaboration between supporters of the authoritarianism of the New Order era.

While Ganjar Pranowo has yet to attain his ticket to join the election, Anies Baswedan faces imminent failure in his bid for presidential candidacy as he gets mired in a tug-of-war for a vice-presidential candidate. Beware of signs of trickery by political jesters.

A complaint from a Turkish Airlines passenger.

Democracy suffers setbacks in the Jokowi era. Is it true?

Democracy happens because the ignored and belittled rise up to affirm themselves. When Don Quixote was published in 1605, democracy did not exist in daily life. But Cervantes introduced his times to Sancho Panza, an illiterate farm laborer who wanted something impossible: to become governor.

Ali Sadikin started opposing President Suharto after he no longer served as governor of Jakarta. He was ready to run as a presidential candidate.

The unbecoming record of Prabowo Subianto’s participation in the prior two presidential elections makes him unfit to be a candidate leader of the nation. He should select another, more fitting candidate.

The Criminal Code Bill is full of legal threats to personal and political rights. It is anti-democratic.

The vote share threshold requirement for the presidential election strengthens political cartels. Nomination of presidential candidates becomes simply a matter for party elites.

President Jokowi is encouraging several candidates to partake in the 2024 presidential election. These political acrobatics are potentially damaging to democracy.

The victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the Philippines presidential election is a threat to democratic life in Indonesia. History can be manipulated using fake news.

Internal conflict to take over the Golkar Party leadership begins to emerge. The Jokowi administration must resist the temptation to interfere.

The government is to impose massive fines on digital platforms that carry ‘forbidden’ contents. This has the potential to stifle freedom of expression.

The “Jokowi three terms” movement is dangerous for our democracy. It must be stopped before it spreads.

The government and deceitful politicians are continuing to try to delay the elections. It is time for the consolidation of civil society.

Ministers and senior officials from the government coalition are calling for the 2024 elections to be delayed. Like those of Sukarno and Suharto, Jokowi’s presidency could end in tragedy.

During the Jokowi administration, ‘buzzers’ continue to play a role as manipulators of public opinion. Their actions are increasingly a threat to democracy.

The Nobel Peace Prize this year underlines the importance of journalism in uncovering truths about those in power. It now has to deal with the influence of social media.

As Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto nears retirement age, President Joko Widodo has yet to put forward the name of his replacement to the DPR. There have been political maneuvers by high rank officers in with a chance of the job.

George Washington was respected and praised not only because of his role in the war of independence, but also because he seemed to be someone who did not want political power for himself.

The fall of Afghanistan into the hands of the Taliban could trigger the revival of terrorist networks around the world. Indonesia must not stand idly by.

Human rights and security are two sides of the same coin. If ASEAN as a community is to achieve them, it must do away with the rhetorical non-interference principle which only gives regimes the upper hand in dealing with dissent. This principle is no longer relevant in this increasingly interconnected era.