August 27-28 2022 Sydney, Australia HERE
Timor Leste’s New President: Polarisation Defused or Postponed? by Max Lane
“ On 20 May, Dr Jose Ramos Horta was sworn in as the new president of Timor Leste. The solid win by the president-elect, however, does not solve the internecine conflicts between parties at different ends of the political spectrum. Dr Horta bagged his victory despite the 19 March presidential elections seeing a crowded field of 16 […]
A Third Term for Jokowi: Weighing the Risks of Constitutional Change by Max Lane
“The recent brouhaha over a possible extension of President Joko Widodo’s term underscores a quandary in Indonesia’s politics: there is no low-risk candidate that political parties can back.” To read full article click HERE
“Uncertainties Surrounding the 2024 Indonesian Presidential Election” by Max Lane.
“Being the only party with 20% of parliamentary seats, the PDIP’s choice of candidate is therefore an important question. So far, Puan Maharani is favoured by Megawati and the party machinery, but she polls significantly behind Ganjar Pranowo. Given this potential impasse, Joko Widodo has even surfaced as a possibility, but this would require constitutional […]
Food story: “Borek in Melbourne and the Indonesia factor.”
Eating as a source of pleasure obviously has a long history. No doubt there is a physiologically based link between that pleasure, registered primarily in the mouth, nostrils and stomach, and the urge to eat to sustain ourselves. The pleasure can be very private, as when we indulge secretly in a favourite chocolate or a […]
“Political Parties’ Manoeuvring after the Jokowi-Prabowo Rapprochement” by Max Lane
Originally posted on MAX LANE ONLINE:
“Indonesia’s political system is a hybrid presidential-parliamentary system, but where the greatest initiative lies with the president as head of government. On the one hand, nobody can stand as a presidential candidate without at least a quarter of the parliament supporting his nomination; without serious party support, contenders are…
Jakarta and Papua: Where There are No Risk-Free Choices by Max Lane
Originally posted on MAX LANE ONLINE:
Recent events in Papua underscore the fact that there is no solution that is entirely free of risk for Jakarta. Instead, the choice is between separate sets of risks. See comment piece here: Jakarta and Papua: Where There are No Risk-Free Choices
The KPK Controversy Keeps Corruption a Central Issue in Public Consciousness” by Max Lane
Originally posted on MAX LANE ONLINE:
“Public anger over endemic corruption is being aggravated by emerging signs of graft in the handling of the COVID crisis. There is an ongoing trial of a cabinet minister accused of corrupt mishandling of COVID welfare funds. There has also been public concern over alleged price gouging for COVID…
SPEAKING OUT ON POLITICS IN INDONESIA: MORE OPPORTUNITY, MORE FEAR by Max Lane
Originally posted on MAX LANE ONLINE:
“On 6 April, the Saiful Mujani Research and Consulting (SMRC) group published poll results showing an increase in Indonesians afraid to speak out criticising government policy. 32 per cent of respondents said that they were often afraid of discussing politics, 7 per cent said they were always afraid. In…
Indonesia: Politicians’ Billboard War Underscores Absence of Policy Contestation by Max Lane
Originally posted on MAX LANE ONLINE:
“The irony behind the descent into a war of billboards during a crisis is that the politicians in the fray are part of the same government. This underlines a particular characteristic of Indonesian party and electoral politics — the rivalry between factions and their leading figures frames everything. If…
MAX LANE ONLINE 