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Jakarta Post
Politics premium

Potential Gerindra-NasDem merger could reshape 2029 electoral landscape

Talks about a potential merger between Gerindra and NasDem, two of the country’s five largest political parties, have recently emerged, a scenario that analysts said could alter the political landscape ahead of the 2029 presidential election and weaken prospects for opposition figures.

2 hours ago
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Kalla blasphemy report raises concerns over pressure on govt critics

The report comes amid heightened scrutiny over freedom of expression under President Prabowo Subianto, with critics pointing to a rise in legal threats, police reports and public pressure directed at dissenting voices. ...

2 hours ago
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US overflight proposal sparks ministerial rift

The Foreign Ministry previously sent a letter to the Defense Ministry to warn that the United States proposal for an overflight access for its military aircraft may drag Indonesia to potential retaliation in the event of wider conflicts. ...

3 hours ago

The Latest

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House kicks off process for asset forfeiture bill

The draft bill recognizes two types of asset forfeiture, namely conviction-based that depends on a court ruling in a criminal case and non conviction-based that permits asset confiscation without any ruling, but under limited circumstances.

2 months ago
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Uncertainty lingers over Indonesia’s foreign policy direction

Indonesia has entered 2026 with a clearer vision of its foreign policy following Foreign Minister Sugiono’s annual address, analysts say, but questions remain over how Jakarta plans to turn its stated ambitions for resilience into concrete policy.

2 months ago
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Rights groups decry guilty verdict, probation for online critic

The South Jakarta District Court’s decision to convict Laras Faizati Khairunnisa, 26, of incitement while placing her under a year of probation has drawn strong criticism from rights groups, who denounced the ruling as a form of “prison without bars” that undermines freedom of expression.

2 months ago
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Protest articles in penal code stir unease among activists

With vague rules on what counts as ‘chaos,’ Indonesia’s new penal code has the public questioning their right to protest.

2 months ago
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Online critic found guilty in August riots but walks free from prison

Judges found the defendant guilty of inciting public anger against the government and state officials through her Instagram Story telling people to burn down the National Police headquarters that was ‘deliberately’ posted when ‘the public was angry’.

3 months ago
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Interfaith group comes out against abolishing direct regional elections

People must be given as much space as possible to elect their governors, mayors or regents, says interfaith and pro-democracy group Gerakan Nurani Bangsa (GNB).

3 months ago
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Prabowo makes first presidential visit to Nusantara

President Prabowo Subianto made his first visit to the country’s future capital city Nusantara in East Kalimantan, in what analysts deemed as an attempt to dispel doubts over his commitment to completing his predecessor's project.

3 months ago
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Indonesia makes turn toward defense diplomacy

Diplomacy and defense are ‘inseparable’, says Foreign Minister Sugiono in his annual address, highlighting the government’s foreign policy priority in expanding defense cooperation with key partners.

3 months ago
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Prabowo turns lush Hambalang sanctuary into command outpost

President Prabowo Subianto has turned his private Hambalang estate on the outskirts of capital Jakarta into the center of power, hosting everything from horse rides with world leaders to high-level talks and cabinet retreats.

3 months ago
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Indonesia takes hard line against Musk over deepfakes

X has reassured the government that its artificial intelligence chatbot, Grok, will not be able to be used for pornographic purposes and enforce accounts found of misusing the platform for illicit purposes, according to Communications and Digital Ministry.

3 months ago
Politics

Prabowo affirms commitment to new capital city in first visit as president

Questions about the fate of the Nusantara capital city project have lingered since Prabowo took office in October 2024.

3 months ago
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Google denies role in Nadiem’s Chromebook corruption case

Google has denied any involvement in the corruption case that centered on a laptop procurement policy at the education ministry between 2019 and 2022, saying it never made use of its ties with former minister Nadiem Makarim to win any government contracts.

3 months ago
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PDI-P stands with voters against indirect polls

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has become the only party to formally oppose scrapping direct regional elections in the House of Representatives, pushing back against the ruling coalition’s plan while acknowledging the need to curb soaring election costs by other effective means.

3 months ago
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Support mounts for comedian after Netflix special reported to police

Public support has grown for comedian Pandji Pragiwaksono, who was reported to the police for incitement and blasphemy, sparking a debate on whether Indonesia is prepared for political satire.

3 months ago
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Community sentences introduced in new penal code

Article 85 of the new Criminal Code stipulates that community sentences only apply for offenses with a maximum sentence of five years in prison, if the judges sentence the defendant to no more than six months in prison.

3 months ago
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Former minister Yaqut named suspect in haj quota graft scandal

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators have questioned former religious affairs minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas three times since kicking off in June 2025 an investigation into alleged graft pertaining to the 2024 haj quota allocation.

3 months ago
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Indonesia assumes UN Human Rights Council presidency amid domestic criticism

Indonesia’s assumption of the presidency of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is unlikely to significantly boost its influence over global human rights issues, analysts say, even as the government hails the role as a diplomatic achievement despite mounting criticism of Jakarta’s own human rights record

3 months ago
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Indonesians oppose indirect regional polls

Six of 10 Indonesians surveyed by the Indonesian Survey Circle disapprove of a proposal to scrap direct regional elections, with rejections consistent across regions, income levels and age groups.

3 months ago
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Plan to expand military role in counterterrorism draws flak

A draft Presidential Regulation (Perpres) lays out the military’s responsibilities in combating terrorism, including three roles for the Indonesian Military (TNI), which activists argue should be mainly carried out by civilian institutions such as the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT).

3 months ago
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TNI, police laws faced most legal challenges at Constitutional Court in 2025

The revised Indonesian Military (TNI) Law and the 2002 National Police Law were the most frequently challenged legislation at the Constitutional Court last year, the court has reported. 

3 months ago
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Prabowo administration promises pay raise for ad hoc judges after planned strike

Prabowo Subianto's administration has assured that ad hoc judges will receive a pay raise after a threat of nationwide strikes by these judges across Indonesia over long-complained welfare disparities between them and career judges.

3 months ago
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Indonesia may face rising instability in 2026: CSIS

Failure to address the need for better welfare and democratic policymaking may cause people to have lower trust in the government, therefore threatening political stability in the country, according to Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) researchers.

3 months ago
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Prabowo embraces criticism but new penal code draws free speech concerns

President Prabowo Subianto has said that he welcomes criticism as a necessary part of governance. But the newly effective Criminal Code (KUHP) that makes insulting a sitting president and the government a crime has raised concern over restrictions on criticism. 

3 months ago
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Prabowo forms Sumatra disaster recovery task force

The task force, led by Home Minister Tito Karnavian, aims to strengthen coordination between the central government and local administrations in northern Sumatra that were affected by floods and landslides in late November.

3 months ago
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Detained protester’s death raises prison neglect concerns

Alfarisi, a 21-year-old protester who was arrested following nationwide protests against economic hardship in August 2025, died at a detention center reportedly after suffering from a seizure.

3 months ago
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Democrats back Prabowo’s plan to end direct regional elections

The pro-government Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind President Prabowo Subianto’s suggestion to abolish direct elections for regional heads, potentially overturning a legacy of democracy that came about under its founding figure, former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

3 months ago
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New KUHP, KUHAP meets legal pushback in Constitutional Court

At least 10 judicial review petitions against the new Criminal Code (KUHP) and Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) have been filed with the Constitutional Court within four days after the new laws came into force.

3 months ago
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Corruption trial begins for ex-minister Nadiem after delays

The corruption trial of former education minister Nadiem Makarim opened on Monday after weeks of delays that allowed him to recover from surgery.

3 months ago
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Freedom of expression under threat as more activists face intimidation

Authorities are looking the other way amid increasing intimidation targeting activists and social media influencers who criticized the government and how it handles the devastating floods in northern Sumatra.

3 months ago
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Pro-Prabowo parties close ranks to scrap direct regional elections

Political party leaders of the ruling coalition have begun solidifying support for President Prabowo Subianto’s proposal to scrap direct elections for regional heads, a major change that analysts and critics say could help the President centralize power in a way that risks reversing hard-won democratic reforms.

3 months ago

Today's ePost

Thu, April 16, 2026

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