politicians in focus — Indonesia In-depth Podcast — In-depth Creative

Once “Unre-electable”, Governor Anies May Have New Hope with Draft Bill

ArticlesShawn CorriganFebruary 1, 2021political insight, politicians in focus

Indonesia In-Ten E3 | Indonesia's Shifting Political Landscape

Prabowo's Gerindra Party looks to move on from opposition leader to be PDIP partner.

In-tenShawn CorriganFebruary 9, 2020politicians in focus, legislation and parliament

Indonesia In-Ten E2 | Jakarta's 2022 Election Canceled

Presidential hopeful Anies Baswedan eyed the Jakarta governor's seat as a stepping stone to the palace, but he will likely be politically "neutralized" before the next presidential election.

In-tenShawn CorriganFebruary 3, 2020elections, politicians in focus

E41: Out with the New, In with the Old

What’s driving the decline of civil liberties trend in Indonesia and what does this say about Jokowi as he embarks on his second term?

In-depthShawn CorriganJanuary 17, 2020elections, politicians in focus

Indonesia In-Ten | Megawati & Jokowi

Jokowi has become a two term president but that doesn't mean both he and Megawati/PDIP are always aligned.

In-tenShawn CorriganJanuary 8, 2020politicians in focus, political insight

Parties to Win and Voters to Lose With Proposed Amendment

The PDIP, Golkar and Gerindra factions in parliament support ending direct elections and return to a similar system used under President Soeharto where the presidency is decided by the MPR rather than by a popular vote.

Shawn CorriganDecember 6, 2019political insight, politicians in focus

E39: Compromises, Equalizers & Dynasties

From political compromises, a possible return of New Order style elections, Widodo family dynasties and Prabowo’s real role in the cabinet, we break them all down in this episode with Dr. Djayadi Hanan

Jokowi Juggles Political Parties, Anti-Graft & Campaign Promises

Juggling multiple political interests looks much like a zero-sum game for President Widodo as he considers backtracking on a controversial law that he supported which weakened the country's anti-graft agency.

ArticlesShawn CorriganOctober 11, 2019policy, legislation and parliament, elections, politicians in focus

E34: A Receding Wave of Optimism in Myanmar

A wave of optimism flowed over Myanmar in 2010 when the military leadership began the slow process of opening up the country and implementing both economic and democratic reforms. At the same time, the government began new efforts to establish peace with more than a dozen armed ethnic minority groups. This was followed by historic general elections in 2015 and a new government. International leaders lifted sanctions on the country and competed with each other to meet the defacto leader and face of the democratic movement, Aung San Suu Kyi. Now, peace negotiations have stalled, reports of genocide and ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya have gone unanswered. What are the major obstacles for the peace negotiations? What might the upcoming election results in 2020 look like? What’s the latest situation with the Rohingya crisis? We discuss these issues and much more with the former Myanmar deputy minister of information and presidential spokesperson, Colonel (ret.) U Ye Htut.

In-depthShawn CorriganJuly 29, 2019international relations, politicians in focus

E31: One-on-one with Jusuf Kalla

Jusuf Kalla is known as prominent businessman turned veteran politician, serving two five-year terms as vice president for two different presidents. He was the critical figure in mediating peace in Aceh along with conflicts in Poso and Ambon and has been called “the peacemaker”. He was also tasked with running the country’s economy during Yudhoyono’s first term. As he is about to complete his second five-year term as vice president, we take a look on his thoughts, insights and legacy regarding Indonesia's progress in the election, the economy, politics and international affairs.

E22: Between Faith & Hope - Shanty Shamdasani's Journey Towards Politics

After 20 years as a senior executive with multinational corporations across Southeast Asia, Miss Shanti Shamdasani is running for seat in parliament. She hopes to bring her values and lessons learned to the Lower House. She talks to us about the difficulties of staying “clean” and not “paying to play” on the campaign trail, her thoughts on how to improve the e-commerce sector and her stance on the latest Indonesia-Australia Free Trade Deal.

In-depthShawn CorriganNovember 16, 2018political insight, politicians in focus, policy

E20: Indonesians Hope to Control Their Data in 2019

We discuss important issues involving Indonesia’s technology sector, namely data privacy, data centers and streaming services with senior Golkar lawmaker Satya Yudha. The government will soon submit a new data privacy bill to the House. This is an important bill. We provide you the details and talk about how it will impact both consumers and tech companies.

E17: Why Jokowi & Prabowo Need Other Parties

In recent episodes, we have covered the run up to the 2019 presidential campaign and the political negotiations that have been involved, particularly the coalition building between political parties. We also discussed how parties are scrambling to form coalitions to meet presidential thresholds. But why do they even need coalitions and what’s all the fuss about?

In-depthShawn CorriganAugust 3, 2018elections, politicians in focus

E16: Widodo's Coalition and Next VP Candidate

Despite what the news headlines state, Widodo has yet to decide who will be his next VP candidate. It’s becoming more and more likely that President Widodo’s next vice presidential candidate will not come from a political party but rather be an outsider. We cover Widodo's expectations and negotiations with his coalition partners and Vice President Kalla's efforts to run for a third term as VP.

In-depthShawn CorriganJuly 28, 2018politicians in focus, political insight, elections

Jokowi's Key Coalition Partner May Have Second Thoughts

Lack of certainty with Jokowi’s VP decision has created internal friction within Golkar and opened the door for the party to explore backup plans for next election.

ArticlesShawn CorriganJuly 3, 2018political insight, politicians in focus

E11: Ahok's Trusted Assistant & Indonesian Solidarity Party PSI Member- Michael Sianipar

We speak with Michael Sianipar, at age 27, he was one of former Jakarta Governor Ahok's trusted assistant until his final days in office. He is now head of the Indonesia Solidarity Party (PSI) Jakarta office. We discuss Ahok's demise, his style of leadership and the future of Indonesia. We also learn more about one of Indonesia's newest political parties and how this younger generation plan on changing Indonesia politics.

In-depthShawn CorriganJune 16, 2018political insight, politicians in focus

E10: One-On-One With Deputy House Speaker Fadli Zon

We sit down with Deputy Speaker of the House and Senior Gerindra Party member Mr. Fadli Zon to discuss the Anti terrorism Bill, the Criminal Code Bill, the dire Rohingya situation in Myanmar and of course the Prabowo Subianto’s run for the presidency.

In-depthShawn CorriganMay 18, 2018political insight, politicians in focus

E7: Rising Star - Governor of NTB Dr. Zainul Majdi

We speak to one of Indonesia's rising stars and two-term governor to discuss his future plans, his key policies and the future of the West Nusa Tenggara Province (NTB). The governor has successfully cut the bureaucracy, increased agricultural production and promoted moderate Islam and he is only 45 years old. Dr. Zainul is aiming for higher office and is someone to watch in 2019.

In-depthShawn CorriganApril 13, 2018political insight, politicians in focus

E6: Widodo's Cabinet Changes - January 2018

In-depthShawn CorriganJanuary 27, 2018political insight, politicians in focus

E4: Insights & Analysis On The Appointment Of The New House Speaker Bambang Soesatyo

We look at why Soesatyo was appointed as speaker, the dynamics inside the Golkar Party as well as the appointment's impact to parliament and President Widodo.