Adi Harjo

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Adi Harjo
Syed Saddiq (cropped).jpg
Harjo in 2019
First Minister of Kingsport
Assumed office
11 June 2017
DeputySinta Sinta
John Tirto
Preceded byTim Saputra
Leader of the Kingsport Socialist Co-operative Party
Assumed office
9 October 2015
Preceded byJoko Ediputra
Member of the Kingsport Assembly
Assumed office
10 May 2013
Personal details
Born
Adityo David Harjo

(1992-09-10) 10 September 1992 (age 31)
Kawali, Kingsport, Estmere
Political partyKingsport Socialist Co-operative Party
Other political
affiliations
Progressive Social Democrats
Spouse
Holly Dwiputri (m. 2019)
Parent(s)Daniel Harjo
Candra Paidiputri
Alma materSt Vincent's College, University of Harbrough
Websiteadi-harjo.kp.es

Adityo David Harjo (born 10 September 1992) is a Kingsportian politician who has served as the First Minister of Kingsport since 11 June 2017 and as the Leader of the Kingsport Socialist Co-operative Party (KSCP) since 9 October 2015.[1] He is the youngest recorded First Minister in Estmere, beginning his first term at the age of 25. He identifies as a democratic socialist and an Estmerish unionist.[2][3]

Harjo was born to Daniel Harjo and Candra Paidiputri in Kawali and studied law at the University of Harbrough.[2] He entered politics at a young age, and was elected to the Kingsport Assembly in 2013.[4] Harjo supported Joko Ediputra as KSCP leader, but following Ediputra's death in 2015 Harjo was unexpectedly elected leader of the party in his own right.[5][6][7] He was elected First Minister in 2017, defeating the more experienced Tim Saputra after a dynamic campaign. He formed a left-leaning, softly-unionist coalition with the Kingsport Alliance for Change and The Kingsport Alternative.[1] Statehood was a major policy of Harjo's first government, and he successfully called for and won a 2018 referendum which allowed Kingsport to be admitted as a state of Estmere in 2022.[8][9] He was re-elected for a further four-year term in 2021.[10]

His government's achievements include the ascension of Kingsport as a state of Estmere, the expansion of the Kingsport Health Authority and the rapid growth of the tourism sector.[8][11] Conversely it has been criticised for overspending, gesture politics, rising house prices due to the deregulation of rental companies such as Houseshare, the decline of traditional economic sectors and a controversial approach to the opioid crisis.[12][13][14]

Due to his age and electoral success, Harjo has been routinely described as a political wunderkind and a potential successor to Zoe Halivar on the national level.[2][15]

Early life and education

Harjo was born on 10 September 1992 to Daniel Harjo and Candra Paidiputri. He was born and grew up in the North Bay neighbourhood of Kawali. His father Daniel worked as a shopkeeper, while his mother Candra was a nabidhu at a heterodox Badist temple. Harjo excelled in school, particularly in debate, which spurred him to study law.[2] He also became involved in politics, joining the KSCP's youth wing in 2006.[4] He secured the prestigious Haberlin scholarship and went on to study law at the University of Harbrough. He boarded at St Vincent's College. He served as president of the Harbrough Students' Union from 2010 to 2011. He remained in close contact with friends, family and party members in Kingsport during this period, and campaigned for KSCP candidates outside of term time. Harjo graduated from the University of Harbrough in 2012 with a first class law degree.[2]

Political career

Harjo remained a member of the Kingsport Socialist Co-operative Party after joining in 2006 and was elected to the Kingsport Assembly in the 2013 election. The election saw a second consecutive defeat for the KSCP, but he was one of a number of new assembly members replacing the first and second generation of Kingsportian politicians from the self-governance era who were now retiring.[4]

As leader of the KSCP at the time, Kusno Kilat was considered responsible for the party's defeat in 2013 and Harjo supported Kilat's long-term rival Joko Ediputra in his successful leadership challenge after the election.[5] Ediputra made Harjo his spokesperson for education and he quickly was widely considered to be his protégé.[2] Harjo was appointed as a youth ambassador by the assembly in 2014 with a responsibility for increasing political engagement among young Kingsportians.[16] Ediputra suffered a stroke on 10 August 2015 and unexpectedly died, with Harjo elected two months later to lead the party with a promise to continue his programme.[6][7]

Harjo's leadership of the party was initially seen as a failure, as after an initial wave of unity he struggled to unite the party due to legacy of the personal disputes between Ediputra and Kilat. He removed two assembly members from the party after they voted with the government on approving the expansion of ENB Kingsport.[17]

First Minister Tim Saputra called the 2017 election and focused on Harjo's inexperience in the campaign, hoping to win a third term. In response Harjo ran an energetic and dynamic campaign, visiting twice as many locations as Saputra and outlining a programme of reform heavily reliant on Kingsport becoming a state of Estmere. In a shock result, the KSCP emerged from the election as the largest party. Harjo negotiated a left-leaning, softly-unionist coalition deal with the Kingsport Alliance for Change and The Kingsport Alternative, and was confirmed as first minister.[1]

First Minister of Kingsport

Harjo's first term was dominated by his flagship policy of statehood, arguing that statehood would grant Kingsport further control over internal affairs, afford it certain responsibilities that had not been granted with territorial autonomy and help settle the constitutional position of the island.[1] Opinion polls also repeatedly showed statehood as the preferred option among Kingsportians when compared to continued territorial autonomy and union with Kabu. Harjo worked with the government of St Roberts and Fleming to hold concurrent referenda to demonstrate adequate support for statehood as required in Article 9 of the Constitution of Estmere. The Kingsportian referendum was held in 2018 and saw 64.7% in favour on a high turnout. Due to the political situation in the mainland statehood for the island was not ratified until 2022 when Kingsport was finally admitted as a state.[8][9]

Harjo worked to expand and reform the Kingsport Health Authority from 2018 to 2019, aiming to address the disparity of Kingsport's Medicare programme compared to mainland states, while also bringing mental health support under the umbrella of public healthcare.[18][11] The bills also incentivised physicians from Estmere to move to Kingsport to end the shortage of healthcare professionals on the island.[19] The bills also attempted to address the ongoing opioid epidemic by restricting their prescription and opening clinics for safe usage, which was criticised by the opposition for "encouraging dependency".[11][20][14]

Harjo's first government also worked to incentivise tourism on the island by creating a marketing campaign to promote the island directly to tourists and deregulating rental companies such as Houseshare. The two policies were successful in prompting tourists to visit the islands and led to a boom in the sector, but have been criticised for artificially inflating housing prices due to properties being bought by rental companies.[12]

Harjo was re-elected for a further four-year term in 2021.[10] Since his re-election and the election of Zoe Halivar at the federal level, Harjo has become a major ally of Halivar at the state level.[21] As part of a move toward further social inclusion, Harjo appointed a minister for equalities in 2021.[22] In 2023, Harjo announced a new raft of policies to try and control housing costs.[23]

Political positions

Harjo has described himself as a democratic socialist and an Estmerish unionist.[2] He is identified as inheriting the political programme of mentor Joko Ediputra and belonging to the "Ediputran" wing of the KSCP, which prioritised closer relations with Estmere in order to expand the provision of social services and healthcare.[3] In spite of this Harjo has opposed the expansion of military installations on Kingsport while insisting his preference is for "greater cooperation" with North and South Kabu.[17] His government has been described as left-leaning and softly-unionist.[1]

Personal life

Harjo married Holly Dwiputri in 2019. Sinta Sinta took the role of acting first minister for the three week period from their wedding until the end of their honeymoon.[24] The couple have no children.[25]

Harjo has said he was raised in a heterodox Badist household, but that he now identified primarily as agnostic.[2]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Shock win for socialists in Kingsport, as young Harjo unseats experienced Saputra". The Standard. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Who is Adi Harjo, the "wonder child" of the Kingsport left?". The Chartist. 18 June 2017. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Kingsport profile - Leaders". EBS News. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Saputra re-elected in territorial election and fresh faces elected to assembly". Kingsport Chronicle. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "KSCP in civil war as bitter rivals Kusno Kilat and Joko Ediputra fight for leadership". Kingsport Chronicle. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Tributes pour in for "dedicated" opposition leader Joko Ediputra after shock death". Kingsport Chronicle. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Ediputra protégé Adi Harjo elected to lead KSCP". Kingsport Chronicle. 9 October 2015. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Statehood act passes through Parliament; Kingsport, St Roberts and Fleming set to become new states". EBS News. 16 July 2022.
  9. 9.0 9.1 @EBS_News (20 September 2022). "STATEHOOD DAY". Chirper.
  10. 10.0 10.1 "Local parties ride anti-SDU wave to win in state and territory elections". EBS News. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 "Medicare expansion known as "Harjocare" implemented, giving Kingsportians mental health support". Kingsport Chronicle. 5 January 2019. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Kingsport's sky-high rent shows that a tourism boom is no silver bullet for struggling communities". The Standard. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  13. "Opposition attack Harjo for reckless spending and virtue signalling". Kingsport Chronicle. 17 June 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  14. 14.0 14.1 "Harjocare "safety-first" clinics criticised by opposition for "encouraging" drug dependency". Kingsport Chronicle. 1 September 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  15. "After brutal reshuffle, who is in line to succeed Halivar?". The Chartist. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 27 December 2023.
  16. "Youngest ever Assembly member made "youth ambassador", visits local schools". Kingsport Chronicle. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  17. 17.0 17.1 "New KSCP leader Adi Harjo struggles to resolve party civil war, resorts to firing assembly members". Kingsport Chronicle. 11 October 2016. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  18. "A return to the coupon lottery? Disparities between state health plans leaves patients vulnerable". EBS News. 9 May 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  19. Daoud, Youssouf; King, Rosa (2023). "Overworked and underpaid: the heart of the health crisis". Estmerish Medical Association Journal of Medicine (56).
  20. Peterson, Michael; Bills, Nate (2023). "The crisis no one is talking about; Estmere's rural opioid epidemic". Estmerish Medical Association Journal of Medicine (57).
  21. "Halivar starts new Autumn sitting of Parliament with major reshuffle, changing top team for the second half of term". EBS News. 4 September 2023.
  22. "Harjo appoints "minister of equalities" in signal of new government's focus on social inclusion". Kingsport Chronicle. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  23. "First minister to make housing "number one priority" in coming year". Kingsport Chronicle. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  24. "First minister Adi Harjo to marry sweetheart Holly Dwiputri, Sinta Sinta to be brief acting first minister". Kingsport Chronicle. 9 June 2019. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  25. "First minister and wife "waiting until retirement" before starting a family". Kingsport Chronicle. 17 October 2021. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
Political offices
Preceded by
Tim Saputra
First Minister of Kingsport
2017–present
Incumbent
Party political offices
Preceded by
Joko Ediputra
Leader of the Kingsport Socialist Co-operative Party
2015–present
Incumbent

Template:Estmere state and territory leaders Template:Kingsport leaders