OPINION

IO - In last week’s column I covered the unethical practices of Indonesian pollsters.  Because survey companies are left unchecked by electoral authorities and free to publish wildly inaccurate polls with impunity (as they have...

IO - Within a matter of days, the map of competition towards the 2019 Presidential Elections has changed again. Last week, Jokowi’s biggest opponents were the data and facts submitted by NGOs, the media, and...

IO - Joko Widodo is a “simple man”. At least, that is the perception and opinion that has been and is still being crafted. Since seeking his fortune in the DKI Gubernatorial Elections in...

IO - Prior to the 2014 presidential election, with his simple dress, rolled-up sleeves and easy demeanor, Jokowi came across as an honest, down-to-earth politician who, when he served as a local leader, seemed...

IO - Optimism is something we all need, both in our personal lives and in State administration. Optimism is the hope that the future will be better. It must be admitted that President Widodo...

IO - A few weeks ago, in a forum held in Washington D.C., the United States-Indonesia Society—a well known non-government organization that has worked for decades on improving bilateral relations—hosted a talk for businessman Hashim...

IO - One of the interesting phenomena of the second presidential candidates’ debate for me was that almost immediately after it went off the air, there was a flurry of commentary, analyses, notes and gossip,...

IO - Hoax.  Fake News.  Slander.  These sort of accusations, which have become a popular way for ruling parties in electoral democracies to attack their opponents and simultaneously undermine democracy, have become increasingly commonplace...

“What infrastructure are you going to build to support the development of Indonesian unicorns?” Segment 5, a question from Presidential Candidate 01 to Presidential Candidate 02. Hearing the question, my instincts immediately brought me back...

IO - I am not one of those people who considers Jokowi’s statement about Prabowo’s “property” in Aceh and Kalimantan as a form of “personal attack”. However, Jokowi’s statement remains an issue for me...

IO - “Strange but true”. That is how I would describe Indonesia’s economic growth in 2018. Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik – “BPS”) announced that our economy grew 5.17% in 2018. Strangely enough, the...