Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Along the East to North Jakarta stretch of Jl. Gen. D.I. Panjaitan, barely a blank space can be seen among the sea of campaign posters and banners covering the roadside for the 3,000 legislative candidates fighting for seats in the Jakarta legislative bodies.
If one was to travel anywhere else in the city, they would be met with a similar scene.
Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The regional elections in 2008 have been quite successful considering the low number of election disputes filed with the Constitutional Court, says the Court chief.
"During 2008 we received only 27 complaints on election disputes. Of the complaints, we examined only four cases," Court chief Moh. Mahfud MD told the press here Tuesday.
Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – New Year has brought no change to the House of Representatives, which is struggling to fight its chronic problem of absenteeism, despite mounting legislative work in the final nine months of its term.
Jakarta – Political parties participating in the 2009 general election are barred from recruiting children for their political campaigns and other political activities on the field and in commercials, Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) chairman said Tuesday.
Muh Syaifullah/Pito A. Rudiana, Yogyakarta – The 1998 activists grouped in the Benteng Kedaulatan (Sovereignty Fort) prefer to support Bugiakso, the grandson of National Hero General Sudirman, rather than Sultan Hamengku Buwono X.
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A legislative candidate from Lampung, Atte Suganda, says he never thought people would ask him directly for funds to repair a road and football field themselves.
Nurseffi Dwi Wahyuni, Jakarta – As many as 500,000 casual, contract and permanent workers will loose their jobs if no orders come in to ensure industrial activity continues.
Nivell Rayda – The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights is planning to double Indonesia's prison capacity to battle overcrowding in its facilities, the minister said in an annual address on Tuesday.
Jakarta – Over a million Indonesians will lose their jobs in the global economic downturn and many will head to the capital, Jakarta, swelling the city's already overcrowded shanty towns with potential to provoke a crime wave, experts told Adnkronos International (AKI).
Jakarta – Dozens of members from the Legal Aid and Human Rights Association (PBHI) and the Solidarity for Civilian Victims of Gaza organization staged a rally Sunday at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Jakarta, demanding US president-elect Barack Obama help end Israeli attacks.
Jakarta – A citizen group has criticized the general election commission (KPU) and its Jakarta chapter (KPUD) for having a regulation that keeps the public in the dark regarding their registration as voters.
Under the 2008 general elections law, the final list of voters (DPT) is only available to legislative member and political party candidates.
Riyadi Suparno, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has learned the lesson the easy way. When he cut fuel prices twice in December, his popularity rose sharply – and so did that of his Democratic Party (PD).
Robin McDowell, Tanjung Puting National Park, Indonesia – Hoping to unravel the mysteries of human origin, anthropologist Louis Leakey sent three young women to Africa and Asia to study our closest relatives: It was chimpanzees for Jane Goodall, mountain gorillas for Dian Fossey and the elusive, solitary orangutans for Birute Mary Galdikas.
David Fogarty – Indonesia has delayed releasing complete regulations on using carbon credits to protect rainforests, preferring to fine-tune rules that could earn the country billions of dollars and curb the pace of climate change.
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court (MK) claims a proposal by the General Elections Commission (KPU) to award seats to female candidates regardless of votes is a constitutional violation.
Departing from a contentious Constitutional Court ruling on the allocation of legislative seats, the General Elections Commission (KPU) has suggested political parties award one of three seats won in an electoral district to a female candidate. The KPU has even suggested asking the President for support through a governmental decree to ensure the measure is enacted.
[Indonesia is bracing for the return of hundreds of thousands of 'tenaga kerja Indonesia' as the economic crisis sets in. Amy Chew, Siti Nurbaiyah Nadzmi and Santha Oorjitham explore the impact on both Indonesia and Malaysia, where foreigners make up about 20 per cent of the workforce.]
Peter Gelling, Jakarta – That it is probably the worst time in history to start a daily newspaper is not, at least for the moment, on the minds of the people behind The Jakarta Globe.
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla has strongly denied any political motives behind ongoing legal actions against government critics ahead of the elections.
Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang, East Java – The Constitutional Court ruling that requires political parties to assign legislative seats to aspirants who win the most votes gives enough room for female candidates to secure political jobs, a major party leader says.
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Former top spy Muchdi Purwopranjono has confronted supporters of the assassinated Munir Said Thalib, saying he felt humiliated for being called "a killer" even though he was acquitted for the 2004 murder of the noted human rights activist.
Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – With the legislative elections fast approaching, most House of Representatives members have begun campaigning in their respective electoral districts, leaving dozens of crucial bills untouched in Jakarta.
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Transjakarta pledged to work toward improving their service in response to passengers' criticisms on the deteriorating quality of the busway system.
Coordinating with NGO Indonesian Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), the busway operator held a press conference Thursday to coincide with its fifth year of service.
Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) won praises from many circles last year for its role in sending several high profile figures to jail.
The anticorruption agency helped indite senior prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan and Bank Indonesia senior officials, among them former governor Burhanuddin Abdullah.
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – Harifin A. Tumpa, who turns 67 next month, will be the next chief of the Supreme Court, a role many had hoped would be filled by a younger leader who could instill reform.
Aditya Suharmoko, Jakarta – As the global economic crisis deepens, the government plans to take over tax liabilities normally paid by companies, to help maintain jobs.
Anthony Deutsch, Jakarta – Indonesia Islamic hard-liners enraged by Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip marched to the synagogue's gates chanting, "Go to hell Israel!"
The only Jewish religious site in the world's most populous Muslim state – which has no rabbi and only a few followers – then closed its doors.
Andra Wisnu, Bali – The Constitutional Court's decision to allow candidates with the most votes to claim seats has triggered internal conflicts in parties, an official stated.
Jakarta – Indonesia's central bank may ease regulations covering non-performing loans in order to make it easier for banks to increase their lending, a central bank deputy governor said this week, part of wider measure to spur growth.
Muliaman Hadad declined to give details of the possible revisions, as these are still being discussed by Bank Indonesia.
Denpasar – Bali Police chief Insp. Gen. Ashikin Husein has urged tourists to wear suitable clothing when riding motorcycles or when not on the beaches to avoid violating social ethics.
Dicky Christanto, Jakarta – Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra's Garnet investment company is set to recover 36 million euro in overseas bank savings after recently winning a court battle against the Indonesian government.
Chazizah Gusnita, Jakarta – Thirty-four years after the Malari affair – short for The January 15 Disaster – a student actions opposing foreign capital, particularly Japanese capital on January 15, 2974, demands for the foreign debt to be written off are now being articulated again.
Jakarta – The National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) on Wednesday called on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to order the Attorney General Office (AGO) to relaunch investigations into the country's "forgotten" human rights cases.
Frans H. Winarta, Jakarta – The withdrawal of testimony by a witness in a criminal proceeding often occurs without any reaction from the court. The panel of presiding judges rarely ask for the reasons for the reversal and fail to unveil the motive behind the withdrawal of testimony.
Agus Maryono, Purwokerto – Karmin, 40, seems happy as he chops dried bamboo poles which he later sells as firewood. Several of his assistants arrange and bind the chopped bamboo for sale.
Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Indonesia, which became Southeast Asia's largest democracy when President Soeharto was ousted in 1998, maintained its status as a free country in 2008, according to a report released by a US-based international rights agency.
Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – Religious intolerance is getting worse here, with state agencies, radical groups and community organizations involved in violations of freedom of faith and religion, according to a report released Tuesday.
Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono underlined Tuesday the importance of a fifth amendment to the Constitution, while speaking to hundreds of veterans.
Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Experts have criticized the government for claiming they will continue to drive down unemployment and poverty rates despite data showing the global financial crisis is due to hit Indonesian industries hard and lead to mass layoffs.
Jakarta – A group of women candidates called on voters to show commitment to the election law that requires political parties to allocate at least 30 percent of their legislative seats to women.
Matheos V. Messakh, Jakarta – Even though he still strives to be a political activist, Usman said Munir was the one who "dragged" him into campaigning for human rights in the first place.
Jakarta – Defense Minister Juwono Sudarsono has asked for Rp 460 billion in extra funds to help the Indonesian Military (TNI) conduct operations related to maintaining territorial integrity.
Muklis Ali, Jakarta – Indonesia raised the forecast for its 2009 budget deficit to 2.5 percent of GDP on Tuesday, from 1 percent previously, as the government seeks to counter the global economic downturn in an election year.
Mustaqim Adamrah, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono decided Monday to lower fuel and electricity prices before Indonesians go to the polls this year.
Yudhoyono also issued a policy to immediately force public transportation operators to slash fares and allow the public to directly enjoy the impact of a string of fuel price cuts.
Jakarta – Indonesia's consumer confidence fell slightly in December, mainly because of concerns about job losses amid the global economic crisis, two surveys showed.
The economy and jobs are among the key issues for voters in the run-up to parliamentary and presidential elections this year.
Ali Kotarumalos, Jakarta – Ten suspected Islamic militants went on trial Tuesday in an Indonesian court for allegedly killing a Christian schoolteacher and plotting to bomb a cafe.
Panca Nugraha, Mataram – The government will stop donating rice to hundreds of followers of an Islamic sect taking refuge in shelters in West Nusa Tenggara for the past three years, an official said Monday.
Sara Webb and Olivia Rondonuwu, Jakarta – Take a ferry in the vast Indonesian archipelago and there's a good chance your name won't show up on the manifest. Foot passengers often buy tickets on board, while car passengers are sometimes not recorded by name.
John Aglionby, Jakarta – Indonesia admitted yesterday that it had undertaken fewer than half the reforms planned in the past four years for its maritime sector, after a ferry sank with more than 260 people on board.
Jakarta – Indonesia's attorney general has filed an appeal against a court decision last month in which a former top intelligence official was acquitted of the murder of a human rights activist, an official said on Monday.