Jakarta – Discontent with a regulation detrimental to the comeback bid of its presidential candidate Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, the National Awakening Party (PKB) disclosed a backroom deal made among parties that would allow him to run for the top job.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The renewed rivalry between the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and its old nemesis the Golkar Party has taken on a new twist with Golkar leaders accusing PDI-P of funding a negative campaign against its presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto.

Slamet Susanto and M. Taufiqurrahman, Yogyakarta/Jakarta – Presidential candidates are set to spend billions of rupiah in the one-month campaign period slated to begin on June 1, seeking financing from supporters and the business community, with some willing to empty their own pockets.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Public polls are a much-sought device in Indonesian politics these days.

Several polling groups have emerged since last year and, for the first time, their surveys of public expectations are being taken seriously by contenders for the presidency.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri has ordered a review of the teaching of religion in Indonesian schools, saying the current methods encouraged rising radicalism in the country.

Jakarta – An Indonesian court has jailed dozens of town councillors in West Sumatra for pocketing millions of dollars meant for municipal services, a court official said yesterday.

Jakarta – Indonesia will allow 13 mining firms, including Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold Inc and PT International Nickel Indonesia , to continue mining operations in the country, according to a presidential decree that was seen by Reuters on Tuesday.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Chinese-Indonesians pressed on Saturday for the prosecution of the masterminds and perpetrators of the deadly May riots in 1998, which killed over 1,000 people in Jakarta and other towns.

Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Surabaya – The National Awakening Party (PKB) looks certain to throw its support behind Golkar presidential candidate Gen. (ret) Wiranto after the General Elections Commission (KPU) declared its own candidate, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, ineligible to stand.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – Ahead of the campaign period for the July 5 presidential election, the Jakarta administration has begun a month-long campaign of its own to evict street vendors.

Tangerang – A group of ulema have asked Tangerang Mayor Wahidin Halim to eliminate prostitution in the municipality, citing fears that sex workers could spread HIV/AIDS.

"The ulemas are willing to take part in raids to drive prostitutes and transvestite sex workers from the town," said Lau Pangkun, an official with the Indonesian Tionghoa Muslim Unity Body, on Saturday.

Jakarta – Over 1,000 supporters of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) staged a rally at the Proclamation Monument in Central Jakarta on Sunday, condemning the United States' occupation of Iraq.

Dadan Wijaksana, Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – While sentiment remains in favor of the dollar, the rupiah is expected to regain some ground against the dollar this week on expectations that Bank Indonesia will be prepared to intervene to prevent the local unit from falling further.

[By Usamah Hisyam, et al, Dharmapena Publishing, Jakarta, March 2004, xx + 1,003 pp.]

Kuala Lumpur, Kompas – Domestic and foreign investors in Indonesia's capital markets don't care about the background of the presidential candidates who will be competing in the presidential elections on July 5. A military or civilian background will not have a significant influence on decisions by capital market investors on whether they invest capital in Indonesia.

Batam – Riots erupted when police and public order officers tried to evict squatters from more than 400 illegal houses on the industrial island of Batam.

At least two people were shot by police and seven others were beaten during the unrest in Riau province on Thursday. Several cars, including two belonging to TV stations, were also damaged.

Bandung – Around 500 residents living on land belonging to state railway firm PT Kereta Api Indonesia (PT KAI) in Kebon Jeruk, Ciroyom, staged a rally against their eviction on Friday outside one of the firm's warehouses.

Fadli, Batam – Squatters in Tanah Longsor, Batam, who had earlier rejected the compensation offered by the local government in return for their vacating a site owned by the state, continued to press their demands on Friday for more money before they would agree to go quietly.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – After years of silence, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) demanded on Friday a thorough investigation into the May 1998 tragedy.

Jakarta – A consortium of Indonesian and foreign investors yesterday said they will build a monorail system to ease Jakarta's notorious traffic congestion.

The investors signed a memorandum of understanding to build the 27km line worth about US$600 million. Jakarta's controversial governor Sutiyoso also signed the agreement at Jakarta city hall.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – For the sake of the Cabinet's performance, President Megawati Soekarnoputri has every reason to fill vacant ministerial posts with permanent replacements, although her administration's term will end in less than five months.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Observers are blaming poor education, inadequate training and the absence of external control as the root causes of police violence and inability to anticipate conflict across the country.

Jakarta – Indonesian police yesterday moved terrorism suspect Abu Bakar Bashir to a new jail cell, a lawyer for the firebrand cleric said.

Police transferred Bashir, 65, from his cell at national police headquarters to a renovated detention room at the Jakarta police facility, closer to the city centre, shortly after Friday prayers, said lawyer Muhammad Assegaff.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – As the central bank moved to tighten the rules on foreign exchange transactions to minimize speculation on the rupiah, the local unit slumped on Friday to a fresh 14-month low on the greenback's continued strength.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – The Asian Development Bank has predicted that Indonesia's economy will grow by only 4.5 percent in 2004 and 2005, and warned that foreign direct investment (FDI) was urgently needed to improve infrastructure, especially in transport, power and telecommunications.

Apriadi Gunawan and Nana Rukmana, Medan/Cirebon – At least eight students were injured after being attacked by children of military and police personnel in Medan, North Sumatra, witnesses and police confirmed on Friday.

Surabaya – Vice presidential candidate Siswono Yudohusodo pleged that if he and presidential aspirant Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) became the nation's top leaders, he will stop the country's debts in four or five years.

Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) will soon issue a joint decree encouraging television stations to air the track records of presidential and vice-presidential candidates.

Jakarta – Head of Wiranto's team of lawyers handling the East Timor case Dr Muladi said those who had been accusing the one-time military (TNI) chief to have committed human rights violations in East Timor have breached international law.

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – The six pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates for the Indonesian election in July, revealed on Wednesday, are an interesting mix of secular and Islamic-based politicians.

Jakarta Post, Cirebon/Kupang/Yogya – Demonstrations continued on Wednesday in several parts of the country against an apparent military comeback in the political sphere following the nominations of a number of retired generals as presidential candidates.

Woro Swasti, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Usman Hamid, says that if Wiranto is elected as president the investigation into [former President] Suharto's crimes will come to a halt.

Budi Sugiharto, Surabaya - A demonstration opposing presidential candidates from [former President Suharto's state ruling party] Golkar and the military on Thursday May 13 ended in demonstrators tearing down the main eastern gate of the State Grahadi Building on Jalan Gubernur Suryo in Surabaya (East Java) and forcing their way into the grounds of the building.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Lively demonstrations against ex-military presidential and vice-presidential candidates are continuing. On the afternoon of Wednesday May 12, around 100 people "run amuck" over the National Election Commission's (KPU) decision to accept presidential candidates from the military. The KPU was even pelted with eggs.

M. Taufiqurrahman and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – "If you can't beat them, join them" seems to be Solahuddin Wahid's motto.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Rejecting accusations of partiality, the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) has again placed the Democratic Party's cofounder Gen. (ret) Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono as the presidential election front-runner in its latest poll.

Abdul Khalik/Nana Rukmana, Jakarta/Cirebon – Scholars warned on Tuesday that the candidacy of several top figures from Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah's endorsement of Amien Rais would have an adverse impact on the role of those organizations as pillars of civil society.

Jakarta – The unprecedented presidential election in July looks certain to see six pairs of contenders, with the incumbent Megawati Soekarnoputri and her deputy-cum-challenger Hamzah Haz being the last to register.

Robert Go, Jakarta – A battery of 520 questions from psychiatrists checking for psychosis, neurosis, retardation or personality complexes; up to 30 minutes on the treadmill to determine cardio-fitness; and spirometry tests to assess lung capacity.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar – A National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) team found indications on Tuesdays of human rights violations in an incident in which dozens of police officers stormed the Indonesian Muslim University (UMI) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, early this month.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Six years after the onset of the reform movement that was triggered by the death of four Trisakti University students in Jakarta in May 1998 at the hands of security personnel, the nation has yet to see substantial changes in political, economic and social life, activists say.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Plans by the US Federal Reserve to increase its interest rate could cause a devastating impact on the Indonesian economy particularly in the form of massive capital flight, economists warned.

M. Munab Islah Ahyani, Bandung – Army chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu says that there is a modern war conspiracy which has and is being carried out by aggressor nations in order to destroy and take control of Indonesia. Stages I and II of this modern war are already underway within the country.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Noted Muslim scholars played down on Tuesday fears of rising radicalism among Indonesian Muslims, saying the phenomenon would not last long and would only affect a small number of people.

Jakarta/Surabaya – United Development Party (PPP) leader Hamzah Haz has added his name to the list of presidential candidates when he announced on Monday he would join the race, picking Cabinet minister Gen. (ret.) Agum Gumelar as his running mate.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The political ambitions of some leaders of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) may create friction within the nation's largest Muslim organization, but the conflict would not affect members at the grass roots, observers say.

"Conflicts are an ordinary phenomena of NU's culture," scholar Muslim Abdurrahman told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – Anti-military demonstrations dogged [former armed forces chief] Wiranto and Gus Solah [National Human Rights Commission member Solahuddin Wahid] as they left the National Election Commission (KPU) after registering as Golkar Party presidential and vice-presidential candidates on Tuesday May 11.

Muchus Budi R., Solo – Democratic Party presidential candidate and retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono alias SBY says he is saddened by the wave of demonstrations opposing presidential candidates with a military background. In his assessment, these opponents are holding the actions within the framework of democracy however in fact they are betraying democracy itself.

Muchus Budi R., Solo – Democratic Party presidential candidate, [former coordinating minister for politics and security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has admitted that he doesn't know who entered the data on the Democratic Party's web site which gives the impression that one of the party's programs is to abolish the army's territorial command structure from Koramil (sub-district m

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The Jakarta stock market fell precipitously for the eighth straight trading day on Monday as regional stock markets also plunged on growing fears that the US Federal Reserve would increase its interest rate in June.