Adelia Anjani Putri, Erwida Maulia & Yustinus Paat, Jakarta – If Indonesians thought the abolishment last week of their right to elect regional heads was the end of the country's da

Tri Susanto Setiawan, Febriana Firdaus, Prihandoko, Jakarta – After abolishing the direct election of regional heads by the people, Prabowo Subianto's Red and White Coalition has initia

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth Aritonang, Jakarta – Indonesia's hard-won democracy, which emerged from the bloody reform movement of 1998 that ended Soeharto's three decades of dictator

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S.

Jakarta – In their anger at the decision of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to allow his Democratic Party lawmakers to walk out of a crucial vote to scrap the direct election of loca

Haeril Halim, Jakarta – Anger turned into activism as hundreds of concerned citizens took to the streets on Sunday to stage peaceful protests throughout the country to mobilize support

Erwida Maulia & Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Election watchdogs and a lawyer association are among a string of different organizations planning to file a judicial review to t

Solo – A document detailing the division of parliamentary leadership positions allegedly agreed to by members of Prabowo Subianto's Red and White coalition and the Democrat Party has be

Muhammad Kiblat, Makassar – The leadership crisis plaguing the United Development Party (PPP) broke down further at the weekend after two factions faced off at a meeting to declare a re

Ina Parlina and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Amid public pressure, the Democratic Party is launching a probe into the decision made by its lawmakers to walk out during a crucial vote o

Yuliasri Perdani and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Critics have suggested that the irresolute stance of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party in the deliberation of the controv

Yuliasri Perdani, Bambang Muryanto and Ainur Rohmah, Jakarta/Yogyakarta/Semarang – The House of Representatives' decision to scrap direct elections of regional heads has sparked widespr

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Political parties appeared to have secured a lock on regional administrations following the passage of the regional elections (Pilkada) law, which will vest Regio

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – It was billed as a scrap that would go down to the wire, a vote to determine Indonesia's democratic credentials. In the end, it wasn't even close.

Kennial Caroline Laia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's statement that he would refuse to sign the law that scraps direct regional elections has no constitutional basis or

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Ezra Sihite, Jakarta – The decision of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party to walk away from direct local elections is a terrible depart

Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – An internal council within the United Development Party (PPP) has decided to maintain the leadership of party chairman Suryadharma Ali, following attempts

Adelia Anjani Putri, Jakarta – Indonesians took to social media on Friday to channel their anger and disappointment at the House of Representatives' decision to scrap direct elections o

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Amid the public anger and harsh criticism, the Great Indonesia Movement Party, or Gerindra, defended the House of Representatives' decision to end di

Kate Lamb, Jakarta – Fears have been raised for Indonesia's democracy after its parliament voted to abolish direct election of local leaders, a key post-dictatorship reform credited wit

Sabrina Asril, Jakarta – Democrat Party (DP) politician and lawmaker Ruhut Sitompul claims that they decided to walkout before a vote on a draft law on regional elections after being or

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto's Red and White Coalition has succeeded in returning the election of regional heads into the hands of Regional Representative Councils (DPRD) as i

Dany Permana, Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) board of patrons chairperson Prabowo Subianto says he is grateful that the mechanism for electing regional heads thro

Muhammad Muhyiddin, Jakarta – The walkout by 129 members of the Democratic Party faction just prior to the House of Representatives (DPR) vote on the Draft Law on Regional Elections (RU

New York – Veteran East Timorese leader Xanana Gusmao said Thursday he's pushing back plans to stand down as the fledgling nation's prime minister.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Two factions of the United Development Party (PPP), locked in a bitter leadership dispute, have both announced their intention to hold a congress in

Suherdjoko, Semarang – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)'s national meeting ended one day ahead of schedule on Saturday evening in Semarang with a number of recommenda

Jakarta – Gerindra Party patron Prabowo Subianto has been appointed as the party's chairman, replacing the late chairman Suhardi.

Suherdjoko and Ainur Rohmah, Semarang/Jakarta – Top-ranking officials of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the United Development Party (PPP) were greeted as heroes upon their arriva

Ina Parlina and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Although the Democratic Party has officially announced its support for direct elections, the election for regional head (Pilkada) bill is s

Margareth S.

Ina Parlina and Margareth S.

Slamet Susanto, Yogyakarta – The Gerindra Party has officially named Aryo Winoto, the nephew of the late president Soeharto, to run for the Bantul regent's office.

Rieka Rahadiana & Neil Chatterjee – Indonesia's incoming president began his political ascent as a mayor in a system of local elections.

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – Support from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for the direct-election of local heads is expected to help the campaign to maintain the 2004 law on regional

Jakarta – The third national leaders meeting (Rapimnas) of the United Development Party (PPP) has announced that Emron Pangkapi will be the party's new chairman, according to a PPP offi

Yuliasri Perdani and Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – As the six factions under Prabowo Subianto's Red-and-White Coalition maintain their stance, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggl

Jakarta – Gerindra Party deputy chief Fadli Zon says the country's founding philosophy, Pancasila, legitimizes indirect elections.

Margareth S.

Venidora Oliveira – National Electoral Commission (CNE) head Joana Dulce Vitor said the policy objective was to support the activities of political parties at a local level.

Jakarta – The mayor of Singkawang in West Kalimantan, Awang Ishak, said on Thursday that he had tendered his resignation from the People's Mandate Party (PAN) following the party's deci

Sita W.

Headlines – Political parties in Prabowo Subianto's Red-and-White Coalition have warned their members against following in the footsteps of Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja

Jakarta – After Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama quit his party on Wednesday in fury over its support for the regional elections bill, mayors and district heads from aroun

Margareth S.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho, Jakarta – Despite widespread resistance to the regional elections bill, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) says an end to direct elections of governors, distri

Jakarta – Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama said Wednesday that he had officially resigned from the Gerindra Party, which nominated him for the city's gubernatorial

Jakarta – Gerindra Party deputy chairman Fadli Zon said Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama's announcement that he would resign from the party proved that he was an op

Rio Kuswandi, Bandung – An alliance of social groups from various sectors of society held a protest action in front of the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Jl.

Jakarta – Lawmaker Khatibul Umam Wiranu from the ruling Democratic Party said that his party proposed stopping the implementation of direct elections for regional heads because the elec