Topic Of The Day –
A Long Campaign: “On Indonesia Presidential Elections”
With Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his main challenger Prabowo Subianto announcing their running mates for the April 2019 election, the stage is set for an extended campaign. These will be the fourth direct presidential elections since the end in 1998 of the three-decade-long military-backed dictatorship of Suharto. Both candidates are expected to unveil their road maps to give a boost to job-creation and reduce inequality in the largest economy in Southeast Asia. Equally, in a country with the largest Muslim population and also one whose population is extremely diverse, the two campaigns are shining a light on the larger struggle for b. Mr. Widodo, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, is seeking a second term, and his choice of Ma’ruf Amin, a conservative Islamic cleric, as running mate appears to be aimed at averting the alienation of the more orthodoxsections. A Muslim of Javanese descent, Mr. Widodo, referred to as Jokowi, was the target of a social media smearcampaign in the 2014 elections, suggesting that he was an ethnic Chinese Christian and a member of the banned communist party. This attempt to tap into the resentment against the small but influential minority community is believed to have narrowed his victory margin. Four years ago, too, his rival was Mr. Prabowo, of Gerindra. An economic nationalist, he has denied the accusations against him of human rights violations while heading Indonesia’s special forces — charges that led to a ban on his entry into the U.S. The electoral face-off between Mr. Widodo and Mr. Prabowo comes also against the backdrop of a highly charged gubernatorial race in Jakarta in 2017. The incumbent at that time, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, had succeeded Mr. Widodo when he became President in 2014 and was considered his protégé. Mr. Purnama, a Christian, narrowly lost the election after a hard-foughtcampaign in which hardline groups accused him of blasphemy. He was subsequently imprisoned on the charge. Mr. Prabowo and his running mate, Sandiaga Uno, had campaigned for Mr. Purnama’s rival at the time — but Mr. Widodo’s running mate, Mr. Amin, was a witness in the blasphemy trial. Differences between the moderate and hardline sections could get exacerbated ahead of the 2019 elections, particularly given the polarisation in a two-way contest. The onus is clearly on President Widodo and Mr. Prabowo to ensure that the airing of contrary political opinion does not cross the limits of civility and decency in this fledgling democracy. But Jokowi, as the candidate whose victory in 2014 inspired optimism about a break from politics-as-usual, perhaps has the greater responsibility to resist a tilt to appease hardline and intolerant opinion.
WORDS AND MEANINGS
1) Dictatorship
Meaning: Government by a dictator.
Example: “the effects of forty years of dictatorship”
Synonyms: Autocracy, Tyranny
Antonyms: Democracy
2) Suharto
Meaning: [(suh-hahr-toh)] A soldier and statesman in Indonesia in the twentieth century. An abortive coup by communists in 1965 led to the gradual devolution of power from Sukarno to the army, with Suharto assuming power in 1967.
3) Diverse
Meaning: Showing a great deal of variety; very different.
Example: “a culturally diverse population”
Synonyms: Various, Sundry
Antonyms: Similar, Uniform
4) Cleric
Meaning: A religious leader:
Example: A Buddhist/Catholic/Muslim cleric.
5) Averting
Meaning: Prevent or ward off (an undesirable occurrence).
Example: “talks failed to avert a rail strike”
Synonyms: Prevent, Avoid
6) Alienation
Meaning: The state or experience of being alienated.
Example: “a sense of alienation from our environment”
Synonyms: Isolation, Detachment
7) Orthodox
Meaning: Following or conforming to the traditional or generally accepted rules or beliefs of a religion, philosophy, or practice.
Example: “Burke’s views were orthodox in his time”
Synonyms: Conservative, Traditional
8) Smear
Meaning: A false accusation intended to damage someone’s reputation.
Example: “the popular press were indulging in unwarranted smears”
Synonyms: Defamation, Vilification
9) Ethnic
Meaning: Relating to a population subgroup (within a larger or dominant national or cultural group) with a common national or cultural tradition.
Example: “ethnic and cultural rights and traditions”
Synonyms: Racial, Genetic
10) Resentment
Meaning: Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.
Example: “his resentment at being demoted”
Synonyms: Bitterness, Irritation
Antonyms: Contentment, Happiness
11) Narrowed
Meaning: Become or make less wide.
Example: “the road narrowed and crossed an old bridge”
Synonyms: Reduce, Constrict
12) Rival
Meaning: A person or thing competing with another for the same objective or for superiority in the same field of activity.
Example: “he has no serious rival for the job”
Synonyms: Competitor, Opponent
Antonyms: Partner, Ally
13) Accusations
Meaning: A charge or claim that someone has done something illegal or wrong.
Example: “accusations of bribery”
Synonyms: Allegation, Assertion
14) Face-off
Meaning: A direct confrontation between two people or groups.
Example: “last night’s vice-presidential face-off”
15) Backdrop
Meaning: The setting or background for a scene, event, or situation.
Example: “the conference took place against a backdrop of increasing diplomatic activity”
16) Gubernatorial
Meaning: Relating to a governor, particularly that of a state in the US.
Example: “a gubernatorial election”
17) Incumbent
Meaning: Necessary for (someone) as a duty or responsibility.
Example: “the government realized that it was incumbent on them to act”
Synonyms: Obligatory, Mandatory
Antonyms: Optional
18) Protégé
Meaning: A person who is guided and supported by an older and more experienced or influential person.
Example: “Ruskin submitted his protégé’s name for election”
Synonyms: Pupil, Trainee
19) Hard-fought
Meaning: Won, achieved, or contested with vigorous effort.
Example: “after a hard-fought match, the game ended in a scoreless draw”
20) Blasphemy
Meaning: The action or offence of speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things; profane talk.
Example: “he was detained on charges of blasphemy”
Synonyms: Sacrilege, Curse
Antonyms: Reverence
21) Running mate
Meaning: In the US, a political partner chosen for a politician who is trying to get elected:
Example: If a candidate for president wins the election, his/her running mate becomes the vice president.
22) Exacerbated
Meaning: Make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse.
Example: “the exorbitant cost of land in urban areas only exacerbated the problem”
Synonyms: Aggravate, Worsen
Antonyms: Calm, Reduce
23) Onus
Meaning: Something that is one’s duty or responsibility.
Example: “the onus is on you to show that you have suffered loss”
Synonyms: Burden, Liability
24) Tilt
Meaning: An attempt at winning (something) or defeating (someone).
Example: “a tilt at the European Cup”
Synonyms: Go, Crack
25) Appease
Meaning: Pacify or placate (someone) by acceding to their demands.
Example: “amendments have been added to appease local pressure groups”
Synonyms: Conciliate, Placate
Antonyms: Provoke, Inflame
