The unaffordability of politics-as-usual

On the face of it, there aren't many similarities between the leaders of Indonesia and Nepal.

- BY TISARANEE GUNASEKARA

Prbawo Subianto was a son-in-law of former President Suharto. As a general and special forces commander, he oversaw the crackdown on 1988 students' protests which eventually overthrew President Suharto. Accused of serious human rights violations including against journalists and political dissenters, he was elected president for the first time in 2024.

Nepal's prime minister until early this week, KP Sharmal Oli, is a member of the Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist). A lifelong activist, he spent 14 years behind bars as a political prisoner, four of them in solitary confinement. He has served as Nepal's prime minister thrice.

Divided by history and ideology, the two leaders had one factor in common - an inability to gauge the pulse of the people, especially the youth.

In Indonesia, the breaking point came when reports emerged that all parliamentarians enjoy a monthly housing allowance 10 times the size of minimum wage in capital Jakarta. This was while the government was implementing harsh austerity measures with deep cuts in education, health and public works.