Indonesia’s Disputed 2014 Presidential elections: What next?
Synopsis
Rival presidential candidates Joko Widodo and Prabowo Subianto have both claimed victory in Indonesia’s recently concluded presidential election. While the standoff is unprecedented in Indonesia and created uncertainty, the issue can be settled by the responsible electoral institutions. Of greater concern is the rivalry between Jokowi’s patron former president Megawati Sukarnoputri and the outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Japan’s Rising Security Challenges
Synopsis
Japan’s decision to reinterpret its pacific constitution to allow the right to collective defence has angered China. It is crafting a more active role in security and defence in response to rising instability in Northeast Asia.
Abe Doctrine: US-Japan Alliance, International Law and ASEAN
Synopsis
Japan PM Shinzo Abe’s speech in Singapore highlighted three key principles for its foreign policy - uphold intenational law, strengthen US-Japan security relations and enhance relations with ASEAN. They signal Japan’s intention to be a contributor of peace in the region.
The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood’s Failures
To understand Egypt’s current political situation, it is crucial to examine how and why the Muslim Brotherhood—a leading political actor just over a year ago—met its demise so suddenly and forcefully. Though it had to operate in a hostile political environment, the Brotherhood ultimately fell because of its own political, ideological, and organizational failures.
Moscow’s Task is to Build a Nation Not an Empire
If the Maidan protests and their aftermath did not disabuse Russia of the hope of a Eurasian Union that includes Ukraine, the signing last week of EU association agreements on economics and trade with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova should have done so. Three former Soviet republics are now linked, however loosely, to the EU.
U.S. Foreign Policy on Syria and Iraq: Between Words and Actions
Failed US policy toward the Syrian conflict plays a large role in the current Iraq crisis. As the advance of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has shown, the Iraq problem cannot be understood in isolation from Syria. This means that the United States cannot be effective in its engagement in Iraq unless it addresses both crises simultaneously.
Rethinking China’s Monroe Doctrine
It is too early to worry about China's Monroe Doctrine. Asian countries need to think about how to deal with its new Nixon Doctrine in the near future.
Toward Stealth and Sea Denial: Submarine Modernization in East Asia
Synopsis
An important aspect of the regional “arms competition” in East Asia is the gradual introduction of new classes of conventionally-powered diesel-electric submarines (SSKs), which are increasingly becoming “platforms of choice” - as force-multipliers in diverse missions as well as against superior forces.
Piracy in Southeast Asia – The Current Situation
Recent media reports claim that piracy is again a major problem in Southeast Asia but a closer look at the situation suggests these reports are alarmist.
How Will Indonesia’s Next President Bend the Arc of History?
Indonesia is at a crucial moment in its history. Stretching behind it are 16 years of a post-Suharto era that saw the country quit authoritarianism, cold-turkey style, and plunge headlong into democracy and decentralization. The last decade has been under outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who will reach his constitutionally mandated two-term limit in October. On July 9, he will hand the reins to one of two candidates standing in the country's presidential election.