Jakarta – Hundreds of regions across the country in 2022-2024 will be led by acting regional heads appointed by the central government. Experts say that this system will benefit people close to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and certain political parties in the lead up to the 2024 elections.

Rizky Suryarandika and Nawir Arsyad Akbar, Jakarta – The executive director of Voxpol Center Research and Consulting, Pangi Syarwi Chaniago, suspects that there is a hidden agenda behind attempts to take over the Democrat Party leadership.

Zakki Amali – The accusations by Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (AHY) have been proven true after the passing of several weeks. The former infantry major accused Moeldoko, a retired TNI (Indonesian military) general, of meeting with leading Democrat Party members and prepared a coup d'etat to take over his leadership of the party.

Irwan Syambudi & Mohammad Bernie – There were 68 independent or individual candidates who contested the December 9 election of regional heads (Pilkada), but according to the General Elections Commission (KPU) only six won.

Haris Prabowo – The total number of people who used their right to vote in the December 9 election of regional heads was low in several parts of the country. In the context of Indonesian politics, those who do not vote – regardless of the motivation and reasons – can be classified as golongan putih or golput.

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) officially appointed its new leadership board for the period 2020-2025 during its 10th National Conference which was held in Jakarta on November 25-27.

Text reads:

Democracy in Indonesia dies:

1. If a regional election is won by using racial and religious sentiment like you.
2. If the democratic system is replaced by an Islamic caliphate by your friends.

Indriyani Astuti – The General Elections Commission (KPU) has finalised the hundreds of candidate pairs which will compete in the simultaneous election of regional heads (pilkada) on December 9.

Ardito Ramadhan, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) suspects that business tycoons (cukong) or capitalists are behind the government and the House of Representatives’ (DPR) decision to push on with the 2020 simultaneous election of regional heads (pilkada) in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Jakarta – “It’s difficult not to admit that the discourse on the revival of communism surfaces every year in lead up to September 30 or October 1. Because it emerges repeatedly at the same time every year, it’s difficult to deny that the issue is intentionally brought up for political interests”.

Nur Azizah Rizki Astuti. Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD said Wednesday that law enforcement in Indonesia has a terrible image. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) responded by citing the may flawed legal cases under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration.

Dian Erika Nugraheny, Jakarta – Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) researcher Heroik Pratama says that the increase in the number of sole candidate tickets (paslon) this year represents a strategy being used by the political parties to ensure victory in the 2020 election of regional heads.

Jakarta – Coordinating Minister for Security, Politics and Legal Affairs Mahfud MD says that almost 92 percent of candidate regional heads spread across all of Indonesia are funded by cukong (business tycoons).

Jakarta – Papuan Traditional Council (DAP) Second Secretary John Gobay is asking President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo to quickly issue a government regulation on the mechanisms for establishing local political parties in the Land of the Cenderawasih as Papua is known.

Jakarta – The election monitoring group Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) is predicting that there will be 31 regions where there will be sole candidates in the 2020 elections of regional heads (pilkada).

Solo – A recommendation by the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to back President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s eldest son Gibran Rakabuming Raka as a mayoral candidate in the regional elections in Solo, Central Java, has attracted criticism from student groups in the city.

Jakarta – A photograph of Klaten Regent Sri Mulyani printed on a packet of social assistance (bansos) for those impacted upon by the corona virus (Covid-19) epidemic has attracted a polemic. The case has opened the public’s eyes to the politicisation of social assistance in the midst of the corona pandemic.

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana believes that 2019 was the year in which the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) was destroyed. Ramadhana even said that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and the House of Representatives (DPR) were the masterminds behind its destruction.

Ian Ahong – November 17 is the commemoration of International Student Day. This commemoration does not automatically emerge from nothing but has a history of struggle against tyrannical power.

Jakarta – Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS) Executive Board Chairperson for Regional Affairs, Tifatul Sembiring, has warned the newly formed People’s Wave Party (Gelora) not to poach members from other political parties.