The year of living dangerously for Indonesian democracy

A worker from Indonesia’s General Elections Commission (KPU) stacking ballot boxes on Nov 25, 2020, in Depok, West Java. While preparations for the 2024 general elections began in 2022, there are still calls being made by some politicians to postpone them. — PJ LEO/Jakarta Post

AS a young and rapidly developing nation, Indonesia naturally faces numerous challenges. Among the greatest of these is the preservation of democracy.

The Constitution lays a powerful foundation that allows Indonesia to develop its governance while maintaining the essential rights and freedoms that define a just and fair civic society. Yet 2022 has seen powerful efforts to undermine and degrade democracy, including moves to weaken the independence of the Constitutional Court and impose restrictions on the freedom of the press.