Who is he? Dahlan Iskan was the CEO of Indonesia’s state-owned electric company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) from 2009 to 2011, and currently serves as minister of State-Owned Corporations (BUMN). As minister, he has streamlined procurement processes, and established holding…
Corruption
The Leaderboard: Arvind Kejriwal
by cogitASIA Staff • • 2 Comments
Who is he? Mr. Arvind Kejriwal, engineer turned civil servant, joined the Indian Revenue Service in 1992. Disaffected by corruption in the civil service, he resigned in 2006 to become a social activist and anti-corruption crusader. Kejriwal co-founded Parivartan, a…
Jokowi’s Civil Servant Shake Up
by cogitASIA Staff • • 0 Comments
By Jeremiah Magpile Jakarta governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo summoned 267 neighborhood and 44 sub-district heads October 24, giving them six months to improve bureaucratic procedures and services. The announcement came a day after Jokowi found empty offices and absent department…
Vietnam’s Anti-Climatic Showdown at the Sixth Party Plenum
by cogitASIA Staff • • 0 Comments
By Carl Thayer When the timing of Vietnam Communist Party Central Committee’s sixth plenum was brought forward unexpectedly, Vietnam’s political elite was abuzz with rumors that Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung would be forced to step down for his mismanagement…
The Leaderboard: Truong Tan Sang
by cogitASIA Staff • • 2 Comments
Who is he? His Excellency Truong Tan Sang is the president of Vietnam and a senior member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). Born in the southern province of Long An, Sang participated in youth activities…
The Leaderboard: Vinod Rai
by cogitASIA Staff • • 0 Comments
The Leaderboard profiles the people behind the policies of the Asia-Pacific. This post features Vinod Rai, Comptroller and Auditor General for the Republic of India. Who is he? Vinod Rai has been the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India…
What Ling Jihua’s Transfer Means for China’s Leadership Transition
by Christopher K. Johnson • • 1 Comment
By Chris Johnson The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party announced on September 1 that political highflier Ling Jihua had been reassigned from director of the CCP General Office to head of the party’s United Front Work Department. He…
The Leaderboard: Nguyen Duc Kien
by cogitASIA Staff • • 0 Comments
The Leaderboard profiles the people behind the policies of the Asia-Pacific. This post features Nguyen Duc Kien, co-Founder of Asia Commercial Bank in Vietnam. Who is he? Nguyen Duc Kien (commonly referred to as “Bau Kien”) is a well-connected tycoon…
The Leaderboard: Laisenia Qarase
by cogitASIA Staff • • 0 Comments
The Leaderboard profiles the people behind the policies of the Asia-Pacific. This post features Laisenia Qarase former prime minister of the Republic of Fiji. Who is he? Laisenia Qarase is the former prime minister of Fiji who was ousted from…
The Pacific’s New Market: Trading Aid for Votes in Turtle Bay
by cogitASIA Staff • • 1 Comment
By Elke Larsen When tiny Nauru, a nation of less than 10,000 people, is offered $50 million from Russia for a single vote its clear a market has emerged for purchasing support at the United Nations. As an unintended consequence…