This 1.5-hour seminar provided a preview of the 2017 Jakarta election. In addition, the seminar also contextualized the election in broader political trends in Indonesia and analysed the significance of the impending campaign for future elections in Indonesia.
Previewing the 2017 Jakarta Election: Candidates, Coalitions and Prospects for the Campaign
Diego Fossati, ISEAS Visiting Fellow, introducing the 3 speakers (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
Tuesday, 27 September 2016 – The Indonesia Studies Programme organized a seminar on “Previewing the 2017 Jakarta Election: Candidates, Coalitions and Prospects for the Campaign” at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute today. The speakers in the seminar were Dr Dirk Tomsa, ISEAS Senior Visiting Fellow, Dr Charlotte Setijadi and Dr Deasy Simandjuntak, both ISEAS Visiting Fellows, who presented their fieldwork findings and views on the preparation of the capital city’s gubernatorial election, especially in the aftermath of the registration of candidates.
The 3 speakers emphasizing the importance of Jakarta’s elections to the audience during the seminar (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)
In this seminar, the speakers highlighted the importance of Jakarta’s elections; firstly, that Jakarta is the heart of Indonesian political life; secondly, that the capital city’s governor position can be an important stepping stone for career at the national level, since the last governor managed to be elected as president of the country; thirdly, that Jakarta voters who are comparatively less prone to money politics and traditional voting patterns have allowed for new campaign methods to surface.
The speakers also elaborated on the career background of all the contenders, their path to party nomination, the projection of their main constituencies, as well as their strength and weaknesses. The seminar which was held in the morning, was attended by more than 30 participants.
Participants at the seminar (Source: ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute)