Ben Terrall – On July 5, Indonesians went to the polls to vote in the country's first direct presidential election.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission has decided to hold a revote at a polling station for Indonesian expatriates in the East Malaysian town of Tawau after the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) filed a complaint over allegations of vote rigging there.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Several election workers have admitted to tampering with poll results, in yet another scandal to hit Indonesia's first direct presidential vote on July 5.

The General Elections Commission (KPU) said yesterday that it has fired seven local officials from West Kalimantan province for vote tampering.

Jakarta – Investment commitments by 13 mining firms allowed to operate in Indonesia's protected forests reached US$17 billion last year and contributed $400 million to state coffers, an official said on Friday.

Rendi A. Witular and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – A coalition of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) has vowed to continue its campaign against 13 mining firms that have been allowed to resume open-pit mining in protected forests, upon a controversial government regulation in lieu of law (Perpu) endorsed by the House of Representatives.

Jakarta – Revenue from oil and gas sector is expected to reach US$11.3 billion this year, a top oil and gas industry official said on Friday.

Jakarta – Indonesia's largest Islamic party – the United Development Party (PPP) – seems reluctant to openly support incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri for September's run-off, although party leader Hamzah Haz has been reported to have thrown his weight behind her.

The recent declassification of documents by the US National Security Archive pertaining to the 1969 referendum on Papua has put this vast and resource-rich westernmost province of Indonesia in the spotlight. The 35-year-old documents say, in effect, that the UN-endorsed referendum was a sham as it excluded most Papuans during the so-called "Act of Free Choice".

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Dozens of students rallied here on Tuesday to demand an investigation into a soldier who allegedly assaulted poll officials in Bandung, West Java, during the presidential election.

Leony Aurora, Jakarta – Six months since its launch on January 15, it seems the controversial busway's only success is in providing a faster means of travel as it speeds along its exclusive lane from Blok M, South Jakarta, to Kota, West Jakarta.

Eugene Low – Retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to clinch Indonesia's top job in September, but he faces a widening rift between the country's public and its top leaders, an Australian academic said yesterday.

P.C. Naommy, Jakarta – The House of Representatives is throwing its weight behind the controversial Ladia Galaska road project despite an outcry from environmentalists.

Jakarta – The powerful Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) will prove to be powerless if President Megawati Soekarnoputri refuses to comply with the commission's order to dismiss Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh, legal experts and activists say.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – An independent poll watchdog blamed on Wednesday the high number of electoral procedure violations on the deliberate disregard of correct procedure by poll committee (PPS) members.

Abdul Khalik and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The official Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) has reported violations in the recent presidential election to police, including mass voter mobilization at Al-Zaytun Islamic boarding school in Indramayu, West Java.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Contrary to what happened in the April 5 legislative elections when people voted according to their political party affinities, the public displayed greater maturity during the presidential election.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In operation for just six months, Jakarta's public bus system has already proven to be the most reliable and comfortable means of getting around the congested capital.

But its sustainability is in question: most commuters are still unwilling to leave their cars at home and the busway's management is allegedly fraught with graft.

Syofiardi Bachyul and Puji Santoso, Padang/Pekanbaru – State electricity company PT PLN may be forced to cut off electricity in three provinces in Sumatra in the near future following the decline in the water debit in reservoirs and lakes that have been the source of power for three power plants.

Fitri Wulandari, Jakarta – State oil and gas firm PT Pertamina is requesting a government guarantee to facilitate crucial fuel import plans as the company faces cash flow problems.

Jakarta – Approved foreign direct investment in value terms in Indonesia fell 34.4% during the first half of the year to U$3.05 billion from $4.65 billion a year ago, the official investment board said Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesian activists urged the government to halt construction of a road network through a tropical rain forest on Sumatra island, saying the project spells environmental disaster and is riddled with corruption.

Jambi – Jambi prosecutors and police investigators have been investigating 23 cases of illegal logging since last year, but only three cases have been brought to court so far.

Frans Tandipau, the head of the Forest Protection Section at the Jambi Forestry Agency, said that the slow pace of the investigations was due to a lack of evidence.

It is certainly gratifying to hear, straight from the horse's mouth as it were, that fighting corruption is so close to the hearts of our presidential election candidates.

Jakarta – Indonesia's parliament has approved a new Bill that would allow plantation companies to cultivate bigger areas in the hope of bringing higher foreign exchange earnings, the Agriculture Minister said yesterday.

Indonesia is one of the world's main producers of palm oil, cocoa, rubber and coffee.

Jakarta – After failing to submit their report on campaign funds on time, retired general Wiranto and Mr Solahuddin Wahid gave their figures to the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Friday.

Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – The People's Democratic Party is calling on the public not to use their right to vote or golput (boycott) in the second round of the presidential elections.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Presidential candidates have been criticized for not coming up with viable plans on how to reform the politically powerful Indonesian Military (TNI).

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government told United States senators on Sunday to mind their own business and not to interfere in Indonesia's internal affairs.

An Indonesian court has jailed an Islamic militant for three years for having attended a meeting which plotted the deadly Marriott hotel bombing in August last year, an official said.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The pair of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Hasyim Muzadi collected and spent the highest amount of money on the July 5 presidential election, while the Hamzah Haz-Agum Gumelar ticket received and spent the least.

Wimar Witoelar, Jakarta – If the trend emerging from the vote tally continues, in two months time we shall have to choose between Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Soekarnoputri.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The Jakarta stock market fell on Thursday, with some analysts saying an key factor was fears "market favorite" Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono might fail to win the president's job.

The Jakarta Composite Index ended lower by 1.54 percent or 11.92 points, to 759.742, on volume of 1.72 billion shares traded worth Rp 908.78 billion (US$101 million).

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta – Indonesia is not working effectively to prevent HIV/AIDS among students because of a lack of commitment on the part of the government and social agencies to teach prevention in schools, the National AIDS Commission (KPA) says.

Jakarta – Senior party executives and campaign managers for the top three presidential hopefuls are wrestling with coalition building for the expected Sept 20 run-off election.

With all the horse trading going on, analysts say front runner Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono faces an even tougher fight in the second round.

Jakarta Post, Jakarta – Election frontrunners Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Megawati Soekarnoputri are now climbing over each other to woo the Golkar Party in order gain much-needed support for the likely runoff poll in September.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – The jockeying and deal-making for Round 2 of Indonesia's presidential election has begun, even before the results of Monday's polls are in.

Jakarta – The conduct of Indonesia's first direct presidential election has enabled Indonesians to cast their votes freely and fairly, an Australian election observer said here Thursday.

"The election was another significant step in Indonesia's democratic transition," leader of the delegation of Australian election observers, Chris Gallus MP, said.

Jakarta – Government prosecutors on Friday demanded 10-year jail sentences for 13 military officers charged with committing gross human rights abuses for their alleged roles in the massacre of more than 30 Muslim protesters 19 years ago.

Indonesian prosecutors have requested a 10-year sentence for the commander of Kopassus, the country's top special force, for his alleged role in the massacre of Muslim activists almost two decades ago.

Robert Go, Jakarta – Judging by statements from international and domestic monitors of Monday's historic presidential election, two completely different events seem to have been observed.

Kurniawan Hari and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The fact that most members of political parties did not support the candidate backed by their party is evidence of the country's political maturity, analysts said on Thursday.

They said that party coalitions would, therefore, not ensure the victory of a particular candidate in the September 20 runoff.

Bandung/Indramayu/Jakarta – The West Java General Elections Commission (KPUD) established on Thursday a fact-finding team to investigate alleged election violations at the massive Al-Zaytun Islamic school complex, where tens of thousands of people from Jakarta were bused in to cast their votes.

Jakarta – Indonesia's military said yesterday it had sacked an officer and suspended 21 military drivers for involvement in suspected vote-rigging at a major Islamic boarding school.

Ex-general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has kept his lead over closest challenger Megawati Sukarnoputri, with about two-thirds of the vote tallied from Indonesia's first direct presidential election.

Current president Megawati remained ahead of third-placed Wiranto, a former armed forces chief who is standing for the largest party Golkar.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – While local observers declined to call the July 5 polls free and fair, the Carter Center and other foreign monitoring teams said on Wednesday that they were impressed by the way in which the election had proceeded.

Damien Kingsbury – It was little surprise that the former lieutenant-general, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was returned as the most favoured candidate in the first round of Indonesia's presidential elections on Monday, even if his vote was well below the most recent polls. But in Indonesian politics, things are not always how they appear.

Nethy Dharma Somba, Jayapura – Repeating an old trick of their New Order counterparts, two subdistrict poll officials in Timika, Papua province, allegedly pierced thousands of ballot papers to benefit Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla.

The act was discovered by the local authorities on Monday and the two were immediately arrested for police questioning.

Andrew Burrell, Jakarta – Indonesia's former military chief, Wiranto, tried yesterday to pin the blame for his probable election defeat on Western poll observers, including a group headed by former US president Jimmy Carter.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – A court here ruled in favor of the government on Saturday over a lawsuit filed by a leading environmental watchdog against the controversial Ladia Galaska highway project in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam province.

Michael Roston – Perhaps nowhere else in the world is there a more challenging need to carefully balance the global "war on terrorism" with promoting progress on human rights and the development of nascent democratic institutions than in Indonesia.