Indonesian Ruling Party Candidate Claims Victory in Presidential Election |
Former General Prabowo Subianto claimed victory (AP) based on unofficial tallies of the vote, which suggest he has a strong lead. Subianto currently serves as defense minister in the outgoing Joko Widodo administration and chose Widodo’s eldest son as his running mate. The election marks twenty-five years since the end of a dictatorship in Indonesia, though Subianto’s own past as a commander during that military regime has sparked (NYT) statements of concern over the country’s democratic stability. Subianto was banned from entering the United States for twenty years due to his human rights record, and he has said Indonesia does not need elections or democracy.
Indonesia is the world’s third-largest democracy and a key battleground for U.S. and Chinese influence in Southeast Asia; Subianto has echoed (AP) Widodo’s approach by publicly praising both countries. Under Widodo, China was the main funder of a $7.3 billion high-speed railroad in Indonesia, and Indonesia has increased its military cooperation with the United States.
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“In his prior presidential campaigns, Prabowo portrayed himself as a populist strongman, vilified minority groups with divisive rhetoric, and pushed to eliminate some regional and local elections in Indonesia. Prabowo has close ties throughout the armed forces and has presented himself as a leader out of Indonesia’s autocratic and dynastic past; he
could well shatter Indonesian democracy and govern like a Javanese authoritarian populist as president,” CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick writes in this In Brief.
“The problem for great powers, however, is that Jakarta is assiduously non-aligned and
almost certainly will remain as such regardless of who wins,” RAND Corporation’s Derek Grossman tells the Associated Press.
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U.S. Supports Japan-North Korea Talks, Official Says |
Japan’s prime minister told parliament last week that he wants to hold a summit with his North Korean counterpart. Washington hopes (Reuters)
potential dialogue between the two countries could lead to progress on matters such as human rights and security, the U.S. special envoy on North Korean human rights issues said today. The last face-to-face leader summit between Japan and North Korea was in 2004. |
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Pakistan Parties Propose Deal to Leave Former PM Khan’s Allies Out of Government |
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz party and the Pakistan Peoples Party reached a deal (Nikkei) to jointly nominate Sharif’s brother Shehbaz as prime minister. The parties came in second and third place in last week’s elections, falling behind candidates aligned with jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan. For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick unpacks Pakistan’s weak coalition government.
India/United Arab Emirates: The countries agreed to move forward (Bloomberg) on a trade corridor linking India to Europe through the Middle East, despite the current state of regional insecurity, India’s foreign minister said.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Leaders of Egypt, Turkey Meet for First Time in Twelve Years |
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been seeking better relations with Egypt and other countries in the region since 2021 and said today’s discussion with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi would focus on Israel’s military campaign in the Gaza Strip. The leaders’ meeting in Cairo is part (Reuters)
of a diplomatic thaw between the two countries, which had grown apart after a 2013 military coup in Egypt.
Iran: An official called explosions (AP)
at a natural gas pipeline in western Iran today an act of “sabotage and terrorist” action as regional tensions run high amid the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. The area where the strike occurred is not known to be home to insurgent groups, and the Iranian official did not immediately name a suspect.
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Ghana Replaces Finance Minister Ahead of Debt Restructuring Talks |
Outgoing Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta negotiated a $3 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund, but was criticized (Bloomberg)
for his handling of the country’s economic crisis. He was replaced today, effective immediately, by Mohammed Amin Adam, the minister of state for finance. Nearly two dozen other ministers were also replaced in a broader cabinet reshuffle as Accra seeks to secure a debt restructuring deal by the end of March and prepares for presidential elections in December. Senegal: Authorities suspended (Le Monde, AFP)
mobile internet yesterday and barred protests against a delay in the presidential election after President Macky Sall postponed the vote originally scheduled for February 25. A spokesperson for the UN human rights office called on Senegalese authorities to uphold the country’s tradition of democracy and respect for human rights. |
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NATO Leader Hails Rise in Defense Spending at Brussels Summit |
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said today that he expects (AP) a record eighteen member countries to meet an alliance target of spending 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense this year. This would mark a sixfold increase from 2014, when the target was initially set. Ukraine: The country's navy said it destroyed (FT)
a Russian ship in the Black Sea with attack drones. Russia declined to comment on the claim. Local social media channels showed reports of residents hearing explosions and seeing a ship on fire.
This article by CFR expert Kristen D. Thompson explores how Ukraine’s
drone strategies are transforming conflict.
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Peru’s President Replaces Economy, Energy Ministers
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President Dina Boluarte Zegarra announced (Reuters) the replacement of four cabinet members in a televised address yesterday. The shakeup comes after Peru’s economy fell into a recession last year.
Brazil/Egypt:
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives (Agência Brasil) in Egypt today for talks about several issues, including climate change, inequality, and the war in Gaza. Later this week, he will travel on to Ethiopia and attend the African Union assembly as a guest, seeking ways to bolster ties with African countries.
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House of Representatives Impeaches Homeland Security Secretary |
The 214–213 vote capped (NPR) a monthslong effort by House Republicans to impeach Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of U.S. border policy, saying that he violated “public trust.” Three Republicans voted with all Democrats against the impeachment. A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security said the impeachment lacked “a shred of evidence.”
At this 2023 CFR meeting, Secretary Mayorkas reflects on the evolving threat facing homeland security.
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Council on Foreign Relations |
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