Kurniawan Hari and Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Once again, it's a case of everyone wanting the presidency and no one wanting to be No. 2, as is evident in hopefuls' efforts to influence voters who, for the first time, will have a direct say in choosing their leaders on July 5.

Alisa P., Jakarta – Hundreds of demonstrators from Aceh Papua Solidarity (Solidaritas Aceh Papua, SAP) held a demonstration at the offices of the National Elections Commission (KPU) on Jalan Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta. The demonstrators were rejecting the results of the elections in Aceh and West Papua which they said were ridden with fraud and military interference.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Devastated by her party's defeat in the legislative polls, President Megawati Sukarnoputri is getting ready to work the ground.

Over the coming months, expect the 55-year-old leader to leave her palace cocoon to crisscross the vast archipelago with one mission: to win precious votes.

Robert Go, Jakarta – The two generals who will run in July's presidential election both have strong leadership skills, but the question is – are they both good for business in Indonesia? Mr Anton Supit hesitated a moment when asked to define how former armed forces chief Wiranto and ex-security czar Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono were different.

Jakarta – Senjata Kartini (Sekar), a women's non-government organisation, is opposed to presidential candidates from military circles.

Sian Powell – Despite enduring 32 years of brutal military rule, Indonesia has not lost its respect for gold braid and epaulettes.

Two of the three front-runners in the presidential race are former generals, and both served the monolithic New Order regime that finally crumbled in 1998.

Marianne Kearney, Jakarta – Almost three years after he was impeached by parliament, Indonesia's nearly blind and erratic former president, Abdurrahman Wahid, insists he still has a shot at the presidency.

Indonesia has joined the race to build the world's tallest tower. Work has begun on the Jakarta Tower in Kemayoran, the site of the city's airport. The project is due to be completed by 2009, at a cost of more than 300 million US dollars. But while the Jakarta authorities say it will enhance the city's image, the project faces widespread opposition.

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – In mid-May 1998, as rioters were ransacking business areas and looting properties owned by Chinese Indonesians in Jakarta, Gen Wiranto, then Indonesia's military chief, was approached by his number two, Lt Gen Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Nani Farida, Banda Aceh – A number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Aceh called on the martial law administration on Wednesday to investigate possible irregularities in the controversial Ladia Galaska highway project.

Tom Allard – Australia can do business with Wiranto, the former general accused of crimes against humanity who emerged yesterday as a candidate for Indonesian president, says the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer.

Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, David Ritchie, met Wiranto in January.

Jakarta – The United States will be able to accept former military chief Wiranto if he is elected Indonesian president in the upcoming election even though he has being indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity.

"We can work with anybody that comes out from a free(election) process," US

Ambassador Ralph Boyce said on Thursday.

Tony Parkinson/Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Indonesia risked international embarrassment if former military chief Wiranto was elected president this year, East Timorese Foreign Minister Jose Ramos-Horta warned yesterday.

Rowan Callick – Was it to be the plain old criminal or the polished war criminal?

Cynthia Banham – A report by a US think tank claiming the Bali tragedy could have been avoided if ASIO had not blatantly disregarded threat assessments has been dismissed by the Federal Government as flawed.

Patrick Walters, John Kerin and Misha Schubert – ASIO deliberately withheld counter-terrorism intelligence from the Australian Federal Police based on the spy agency's "idiosyncratic calculation of the national interest", according to a new study by a leading US think tank.

Max Lane – Despite what some media may tell us, the 2004 Indonesian election results indicate that there is no nostalgic swing to the past, but instead a popular rejection of the elit politik.

Bhimanto Suwastoyo, Jakarta – Indonesian military chief Wiranto won a decisive victory early Wednesday in the contest for the Golkar party's presidential nomination but faces a much tougher battle for the top job.

The party founded by former dictator Suharto picked the strongman's former adjutant Wiranto, who has been indicted in East Timor for crimes against humanity.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – The entry into Indonesia's presidential race of a former general indicted for abuses in East Timor will jolt the frontrunner but also makes life tougher for incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Jakarta – With retired General Wiranto's surprise victory at Golkar's presidential convention early Wednesday, Indonesia now has two ex-military men contesting its upcoming direct presidential polls scheduled on July 5.

Aloysius Bhui, Jakarta – Golkar party's decision to choose retired general Wiranto as its nominee for the country's first-ever direct presidential election on July 5 raises hopes that Indonesia will have a new leader who can hasten the pace of economic recovery, despite some misgivings about alleged human rights abuses in East Timor during his term as military chief, analysts said.

Tanya Nolan: Indonesia's only two-thirds of the way through counting the ballots cast in this month's parliamentary elections, and as we just heard, the Golkar Party of former President Suharto is still leading the race with just over 21 per cent of the vote.

And it's been tipped as a similarly close race for the upcoming presidential elections on July the 5th.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Fresh from a six-week recess, House of Representatives legislators started on Monday their new sitting period, with nearly 60 bills lined up for deliberation.

Jakarta – Indonesia's consumption-driven economy is expected to grow faster than expected this year but it still lags behind the rest of Asia in exports and investment, the World Bank said Tuesday.

Dean Yates, Jakarta – Indonesian militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has not even been charged yet in a fresh terrorism investigation, but already public opinion is shifting behind the jailed preacher amid anger at perceived US meddling.

Surabaya/Jakarta – The country's largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), has not yet named its preferred presidential candidates despite frequent visits by Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid to several influential NU clerics.

Golkar's leader Akbar Tanjung promised to battle Indonesia's endemic corruption and revive the economy as members of the party founded by former dictator Suharto met to choose a presidential candidate after its apparent parliamentary election win.

Jakarta – A senior minister who teamed up with President Megawati Sukarnoputri's main rival said yesterday he was optimistic they could make a strong showing in the July polls for president and vice-president.

Jakarta – The United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) says that the Saviors of the Nation Forum (Forum Penyelamat Bangsa) which has been conceived by [National Mandate Party chairperson] Amien Rais and [Justice and Prosperity chairperson] Hidayat Nurwahid is quasi-unity, a pretence and just pragmatic.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – More than 1,000 former employees at state aircraft manufacturer PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) staged an unruly protest on Monday at the West Java High Court in Bandung, damaging the court buildings.

Telly Nathalia, Jakarta – Indonesian police have named Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir a terror suspect and are focusing on possible links to the Bali blasts and his alleged leadership of an al Qaeda-linked militant group, officials said on Friday.

Jakarta – Several donor countries and institutions agreed on Monday to hold routine meeting discussing the improvement of Indonesia's investment climate.

Nana Rukmana, Cirebon – Local prosecutors have brought a criminal charge against a group of activists who staged a rally on Wednesday to urge a serious investigation into corruption scandals in Cirebon, West Java.

Jakarta – The executive director of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial), Munir, says that the drawing in or courting active military officers to enter politics will only destroy the nation's system of defense.

Suherdjoko, Semarang – Kerosene has become very scarce in the past two months in Semarang, the capital of Central Java, and neighboring areas due to a lack of supply, causing its price to soar.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Former Indonesian general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has edged ahead in the race to become the country's next president by teaming up with a running mate from the Golkar Party of former president Soeharto.

Maryadi, Jakarta – Around 70 people who claimed they were from Ngawi, Magetan, from the East Java city of Madiun, demonstrated at the Constitutional Court building on Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat in Central Jakarta on Monday April 19.

Woro Swasti, Jakarta – On Monday April 19, the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB), which was established by 14 student organisations, held a demonstration rejecting the results of vote counting in the recent legislative elections.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – The Jakarta Police recorded 208 bodies found on streets and other public places in Greater Jakarta during the first quarter of this year and about half of those remain unidentified.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The national legislature will resume sitting on Monday until early July, involving many members who are unlikely to be reelected for another five-year term.

M. Ilham, Jakarta – The United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) and the Indonesian Trade Union Action Committee (Komite Aksi Serikat Buruh Indonesia, KASBI) are calling for a national strike on May 1 to coincide with May Day. According to Anwar M.

Alisa, Jakarta – Dita Indah Sari from the United Opposition Front (Barisan Oposisi Bersatu, BOB) has strongly criticised the current crop of presidential candidates who are creating illusions, such as [former Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security] Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY), [National Mandate Party chairperson] Amin Rais and [Justice and Prosperity Party chairperson, P

Alisa P, Jakarta – Speaking at the offices of the Dakwah Muhammaddyah, Munir SH, the executive director of Indonesian Human Rights Watch (Imparsial) said that National Mandate Party (PAN) chairperson Amin Rais must be responsible for the reformasi stalling. Especially since Rais is attempting to team up with the military as his partner in the coming presidential elections.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – The recent presidential decree which centralizes the issuance of permits for investment under the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) reflects not only a lack of creativity on the part of the government in streamlining the bureaucracy, but is also detrimental to the spirit of the long-sought regional autonomy.

Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta – The emergence of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party as the two parties that have garnered the most votes for the Jakarta City Council has come as something of a surprise.

Andreas Harsono, Jakarta – A retired army general, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, is likely to be President Megawati Sukarnoputri's most serious challenger in Indonesia's presidential election in July, judging by an opinion poll and the views of political analysts.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The favorite pairing for the next president and vice president is Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, cofounder of the Democratic Party and Jusuf Kalla of the Golkar Party, a survey which findings were revealed on Friday said.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – A group of professionals, religious leaders, students, organizations and senior military officers announced on Friday a movement to gather support for presidential hopeful Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Golkar party of former dictator Suharto maintained its lead in Indonesia's general election but a rival demanded party leader Akbar Tanjung resign ahead of a convention to choose the party's presidential candidate.

M. Ilham, Jakarta – According to the government the elections in West Papua were a success, however for the people of Papua this cannot be said to be true, moreover as many as 70,000 Papuan people were not registered to vote. Identification cards are not longer used at polling stations [voters must have a separate voter registration card].