Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – The National Intelligence Agency (BIN) will have much broader powers soon after President Megawati Soekarnoputri signs a decree authorizing the agency to open offices in all provinces, regencies and municipalities across the country, creating new fears of repression.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Attorney General's Office (AGO) claimed on Wednesday that it had ordered another medical examination for former president Soeharto in a bid to reactivate the prosecution case against him on corruption charges.

Jakarta – One person was killed and four injured when police opened fire to disperse illegal miners occupying a gold mine operated by Australian firm Newcrest, police said Thursday.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has drafted a campaign regulation that will ban top state officials, including the President and her ministers, from using state facilities during the election campaign, but analysts said the regulation was rife with defects.

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's Golkar party could stage a major political comeback and beat President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the presidential election this year.

And if Golkar joins forces with Ms Megawati's party to form a ruling coalition, Indonesia will have a strong government.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Habibie Center, a study center founded by former president B.J. Habibie, predicted on Wednesday the general elections would not produce leaders who cared about issues affecting the common people and would keep the existing six major political parties in power.

Jakarta – Holding the elections in conflict areas such as Aceh will not result in quality elections. Basically this is because violence by state security personnel against the public is still occurring, particularly violence which increases a sense of fear in society.

Jakarta – The involvement of the TNI-AD (the army) in making the 2004 general elections a success does not represent an effort or ambition on the part of the TNI-AD to extend its role.

Yogyakarta – One thousand students of Gadjah Mada State University (UGM) will actively empower eligible voters and watch the 2004 electoral process in Yogyakarta villages as part of their field study program, UGM Rector Sofian Effendi said.

The students would be sent to 60 villages in four districts in Yogyakarta province, he told reporters here Wednesday.

Jakarta – Indonesian Finance Minister Boediono said Indonesia's economic growth would persist if the next election was run well and the political situation remained stable.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – According to the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras), the statement by army chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu that there 60,000 foreign agents in Indonesia is nothing new. However this statement reflects an anxiety and unwillingness on the part of the military to be corrected.

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – In order to fulfill the requirements of the National Election Commission (KPU), a number of provincial legislative candidates have submitted copies of diplomas which have been certified by the Siliwangi III Regional Military Command (Kodam). The reason they gave for this was because their schools had already been closed down.

An explosion rocked the Indonesian city of Medan in North Sumatra province late on Monday evening, but there was no immediate report of casualties, police said.

"There was a blast in Patumbak, near the Amplas [bus] terminal but there was no report of casualties," Second Sergeant PM Simanjuntak of the Medan city police headquarters said.

Andrew Burrell, Jakarta – Indonesia's $5.7 billion tourism industry, still struggling to recover from the Bali bombings and last year's SARS outbreak, has been hit by a government decision to begin charging foreign visitors a visa fee from next month.

Anindhita Maharrani, Jakarta – A number of youth organisation under the banner of Youth Community (Kaum Muda) have protested the list of legislative candidates [for the 2004 general elections] which are dominated by old faces, people who have previously been legislative members.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The country's judicial institutions have failed to uphold justice for all, as many verdicts have been delivered without proper legal arguments and charges have been leveled at suspects without sufficient evidence, a judiciary watchdog has said.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – No one in this country who believes in democracy wants the 2004 elections to fail, as it is the only democratic tool to elect a legitimate government that will carry out reforms and dig the country out of its economic doldrums.

Jakarta – Indonesian activists yesterday filed a police complaint against Religious Affairs Minister Said Aqil al-Munawar, accusing him of possible corruption over advance money paid by some 30,000 would-be pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Friday the regulations on the electoral campaign, which sets some restrictions regarding campaigning through the mass media.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – The Jakarta Composite Index took a strong jump on the first day of 2004 trading on Monday, closing at above 700 – the highest in more than four years – as optimism pervaded regional stock markets and the government announced improved key economic indicators.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – Inflation rose by 0.94 percent in December from the previous month, bringing the total inflation in 2003 to 5.06 percent, the lowest year-on-year rate in four years, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reported on Friday.

Surabaya – PT Telkom Managing Director Kristiono said here Friday the structure of telephone rates in Indonesia, especially those for fixed phones, were not attractive to investors.

Jason Mcleod – Abdul Teng is in his element. Mr Teng is from the North Malukus and is the head of Gambir Village, the only settlement on Gag Island, a diminutive and isolated 56-square-kilometre coral atoll located 150km north-west of Sorong, in the Raja Ampat archipelago, the world's most diverse marine environment.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Despite the praise the police have earned from the international community in solving several bombing cases, many low profile cases are left unsolved as the year 2003 comes to a close.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – While noted figures, scholars and some politicians have expressed support for the national movement against unscrupulous politicians, Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung doubts the movement will live up to its expectations.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Residents of Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday to the Jakarta State Administrative Court against an eviction plan following previous lawsuits filed by evictees from Tanjung Duren Selatan in West Jakarta and Muara Angke in North Jakarta.

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta district court acquitted two soldiers and two civilians of all charges in the July 27, 1996 Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) killings, but sentenced another civilian defendant to two months and 10 days.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – Press freedom, once again, has been dealt another severe blow after the panel of judges at the South Jakarta District Court ruled on Tuesday in favor of businessman Marimutu Sinivasan of the Texmaco group in a defamation suit he filed against Koran Tempo newspaper.

Taufan Hidayat – Public protests are so common in Jakarta these days that they are regularly cursed – usually with good reason – by the gridlock-weary taxi drivers of Indonesia's capital. The country now benefits from a free and often cheeky press and personal freedoms have increased.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – As many as 13,996 TNI (Indonesian armed forces) members and police officers will be involved in securing election stations during the 2004 general elections in Aceh. The type of security which will be employed at the polling stations will be different from other regions in Indonesia.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The National Police named on Tuesday a former Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) chairman and his ex-deputy as suspects in the misuse of Rp 20.9 trillion (US$2.45 billion) from account no. 502.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Tuesday the 24 political parties contesting the 2004 elections would be allowed to add more women to their lists of legislative candidates if they had yet to meet the 30 percent quota of women aspirants.

Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst. That's the principle Army Chief of Staff Ryamizard Ryacudu apparently had in mind when he sent a warning signal to public at the Army's anniversary last Monday.

Moch. N. Kurniawan and M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – All 24 political parties rushed to file their lists of legislative candidates with the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Monday, just hours ahead of the midnight deadline, with the exception of PDI-P and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia) which registered earlier.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – Dozens of noted intellectuals, artists and activists from non-governmental organizations announced the establishment of the National Movement Against "Rotten" Politicians on Monday ahead of the 2004 elections, pledging to announce their names soon.

Jakarta – The political parties contesting the 2004 general election will not be allowed to file the names of any more legislative candidates following the expiry of the deadline on Monday, December 29 at 12 midnight.

Jakarta – Indonesian police will deploy up to 24,000 personnel to safeguard legislative and presidential elections in restive regions next year, a report said Tuesday.

The officers will be posted to Aceh, Central Sulawesi, Papua and Maluku provinces, national operations director Inspector General Dewa Astika was quoted by Koran Tempo newspaper as saying.

Yogyakarta – Some 20 students of the Indonesian Students Association (HMI) and the Proletarian Student Community (Kompor) here Tuesday staged a rally to reject general elections and sealed the Yogyakarta office of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Michael Casey, Indonesia – Gunfire crackles and smoke wafts across a valley as an elite police unit storms a house filled with terrorists, rescuing the hostages and shooting dead the abductors.

Jakarta – The newly established Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) began on Monday its four-year term, but fell short of deciding on cases to prioritize.

Looking at the security and political situation that prevails as the year 2003 nears its end, we can say that the pattern of conflict that has been affecting the security situation in this country has reached stabilization point. In terms of open conflict, the situation in Aceh has already reached its peak.

Ambon – Army Chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu has wondered why Alex Manuputty, a criminal who has been convicted for subversive activities, can be easily welcomed in the United States.

According to General Ryacudu, ordinary Indonesian residents who plan to go to the United States will not easily get visa despite clear and good intention.

Jakarta – Syamsudin Haris, a political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), predicts that 60-70 per cent of old politicians will win seats in the People's Representative Assembly in the 2004 elections.

Denpasar – TNI-AD (army) chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu has again reminded his officers to take a neutral stand in the coming elections, and not take sides with any of the political parties.

Jakarta – Old names are still dominating the candidate members for the People's Representative Assembly (DPR) in the lists submitted on Monday, December 29, to the General Election Commission (KPU) by the political parties who will participate in the 2004 general elections.

Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The City Council plans to approve the 2004 city budget of Rp 12.16 trillion (US$1.43 billion) on Tuesday, but several councillors and analysts say there is no guarantee that the budget will be free from irregularities.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Squatters facing eviction from their homes on Jl. Tanah Merah, North Jakarta, and Pinang Ranti, East Jakarta, have turned down compensation money offered by land owners, demanding a higher figure.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) is expecting an extra-heavy workload on Monday, as all 24 political parties contesting the 2004 elections will rush to beat the deadline for registration of legislative candidates.

Andi Hajramurni and A'an Suryana, Makassar/Jakarta – Around 100 angry rank-and-file Golkar Party supporters held a demonstration here on Saturday to protest the change in priority numbers given to some of its legislative candidates for the 2004 election.