Banda Aceh – As many as 1,231 legislative candidates from across Aceh will take a Koran recital test organized by the Aceh Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIP) as part of a r

Ina Parlina – Political parties are reaping the benefit of incumbency, nominating almost all their currently serving lawmakers for reelection to the House of Representatives in 2014, a

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Police in Aceh suspect a political motive is behind the murder of a local politician who was gunned down by unknown assailants on Friday morning.

Jakarta – An online petition against forest clearance in Aceh has the support of 20,000 netizens.

SP/Carlos Paath – Candidates running in Indonesia's legislative elections must be prepared to spend at least Rp 1 billion ($103,000), a legislator said on Tuesday.

Carlos Paath – Winning public office in Indonesia is a costly proposition, and the longer-than-usual campaign period ahead of the 2014 legislative election will require successful candi

The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party is charging its legislative candidates Rp 300 million (US$30,9000) to pay for logistical expenses during the balloting process.

Carlos Paath – Indonesian political party officials are publicly adamant that TV stars' ready-made public profiles have nothing to do with their selection as legislative candidates.

Margareth S.

Jakarta – Soon after the country decided that regional heads should be democratically elected, local political dynasties emerged as a new political force.

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The Democratic Party has revealed its new leadership lineup, with the relatives of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and members of his inner circle appoint

Margareth Aritonang and Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Corruption suspects, television personalities, dangdut stars and the police officer better known as the Bollywood cop are topping the veri

Margareth S.

Jakarta – The Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party has come out top in being the most transparent and accountable political party in the management of their finances, a survey has

Yeremia Sukoyo & Ezra Sihite – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will not rein in his cabinet members' legislative ambitions, after a media report indicated that up to 10 ministers

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The new lineup of the Democratic Party's central board is expected to be filled with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's loyalists, while his son, Edhie "Ib

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – A deadlock between political factions at the House of Representatives over a plan to amend Law No.

Linda Yulisman and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Vice President Boediono has promised that the government will work extra hard to maintain political stability ahead of the general elect

The chief patron of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Taufiq Kiemas, said there was a possibility that his party could join in a coalition with the ruling Democratic

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who ends his second term in October 2014, said that Indonesia needed a leader with a strong commitment to improving the

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Recently elected Democratic Party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is preparing to purge the party's central executive board of those loyal to for

Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD has said that he has engaged in talks with a number of political parties for a possible coalition to support his presidential bid.

Michael Buehler – After the decentralisation of political and fiscal power in 2001, local government heads have become some of the most powerful political players in Indonesia.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho & Made Arya Kencana – An election watchdog has slammed President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his domination over the Democratic Party's organizational stru

Bagus BT Saragih, Sanur, Bali – The Democratic Party's extraordinary congress has appointed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the new party chairman, replacing Anas Urbaningrum who resigned o

Jakarta – Graft convict and former chief detective Comr. Gen. (ret.) Susno Duadji says he has joined the Muslim-based Crescent Star Party (PBB).

Margareth S.

Prodita Sabarini, Reportage – For Papuans, their graves are a reminder of the grief that besieges their land.

Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – Lawmakers at the House of Representatives have deadlocked on plans to amend Law No. 42/2008 on presidential elections.

Syamsul Huda M. Suhari, Gorontalo – Thousands of supporters of a Gorontalo mayoral candidate attacked and occupied state television TVRI Gorontalo station at Jl.

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – The popularity of Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who was nominated by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in last year's city electio

Jakarta – Former members of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) have joined the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) and will support Prabowo Subianto in the 2014 presidential election, t

Jakarta – A former Garut regent who was impeached for polygamy is reportedly running as a legislative candidate for the People's Conscience Party (Hanura).

Salim Osman – Indonesia's largest Islamic party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), is defying predictions of tough times ahead of legislative elections due next April.

Robertus Wardi – A coalition between former military general Prabowo Subianto and National Mandate Party chairman Hatta Rajasa for next year's presidential race is just a step away, one

Senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Guruh Soekarnoputra said that popular Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo was not ready to become the country's next

Bagus BT Saragih and Margareth S.

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – An election watchdog is questioning the merger of several political parties ahead of next year's legislative elections, saying the moves violate the law as we

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – Leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) are not ruling out nominating popular Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo instead of PDI-P c

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has been holding a series of meetings with several prominent figures as he approaches the tail end of his time in office a

Former convicts will now be able to run in regional legislative elections, a commissioner from Indonesia's election commission said on Thursday.

Fifteen years after the start of the Reform movement, the call for a return to an authoritarian system has ironically been promoted by the country's political parties, which should have

Nethy Dharma Somba, Papua – Newly elected Papua Governor Lukas Enembe has vowed to improve the implementation of Papua's Special Autonomy (Otsus) Law No. 21/2001.

Margareth S. Aritonang – People react differently to authoritarian leadership.

Ina Parlina, Jakarta – As pollsters predict a grim outlook for Islamic parties in the 2014 legislative election, some parties are making an effort to appeal to fringe Muslim groups in t

Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The widely publicized meeting between President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Lt. Gen.

Margareth S. Aritonang – The chief patron of the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, Lt. Gen. (ret.) Prabowo Subianto, is known as a strong-willed military leader.

Yuliasri Perdani, Jakarta – The electability of Islamic parties is expected to plunge further in the 2014 general election, with major parties like the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) em

Ezra Sihite – Former military general and founder of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Prabowo Subianto on Monday commended President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for his manage

Carlos Paath & Yohannie Linggasari – While several female politicians, including former legislator Angelina Sondakh, have been embroiled in graft cases recently, politicians and exp