Kurniawan Hari and Ainur R. Sophiaan, Jakarta/Surabaya – At least seven of Golkar's 19 presidential aspirants have secured a ticket to the party's preliminary convention to choose five candidates after winning the support of at least five provinces as required by the convention.

Evi Mariani and Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta – The intensive evictions of illegal squatters across the capital is apparently related to city budget spending in the last semester by the relevant agencies in the city administration.

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – Mrs Megawati Sukarnoputri's critics said yesterday it is time the Indonesian President took responsibility for her administration's poor performance in key areas instead of blaming others for it.

Leo Wahyudi S. – The recent case of a patient sent home by a hospital because he could not pay the full medical bill is indicative of the poor treatment low-income people receive from the health service. A number of people recounted their bad experiences when dealing with hospitals to The Jakarta Post.

Bandung – Charismatic Indonesian Muslim preacher Abdullah Gymnastiar, popularly known as Aa Gym, said on Thursday he would not meet with US President George W Bush when the latter comes to Bali on October 22.

"My rejection of the US invitation to meet Bush is not an act of hatred but as a protest over the country's unfair treatment of other nations in the world," he said.

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta – The government painted on Wednesday a brighter outlook for the country's exports for next year, predicting exports to grow by 7 percent, higher than this year's growth target of 5 percent.

Rendi A. Witular, Jakarta – Coordinating Minister of the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti insisted on Wednesday that foreign direct investment in Indonesia was on the rise, saying that the gloomy reports from the Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) did not represent the real situation.

Jakarta – Indonesia is still "very weak" fighting terrorism because of soft laws and is just waiting for the next attack, the head of the government's anti-terrorism board said on Thursday, days before a visit by US President George W. Bush.

Indonesia must show the world that its Muslim majority is moderate and peace-loving and not let a tiny group of "murderers" determine its direction, US President George W. Bush said in an interview.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The World Bank may not disburse the third and last tranche of the Water Resources Sector Adjustment Loan (Watsal), worth US$150 million, to Indonesia if the controversial water resources bill fails to meet a 1999 commitment on water resource policy reform.

Kurniawan Hari and Suherdjoko, Jakarta/Semarang – The Golkar convention series to select its presidential candidate remains far from complete and nothing is sure except for the fact that chairman Akbar Tandjung has been made to labor.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Bribery and blackmailing attempts have started to daunt members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) as supply procurement tenders worth millions of US dollars for next year's general elections are being processed by the commission.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Hundreds of fishermen who live along the banks of the Muara Angke River in North Jakarta did not go out to sea on Tuesday, instead staying at home to wait for the public order officers to come and try to demolish their houses.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Terrorism will top the agenda during US President George W. Bush's visit to Indonesia.

As the most populous Muslim country in the world, observers said that his visit next week is also aimed at cultivating Indonesia's moderate Islamic ground at a time when US standing here and the Arab world is at an all-time low.

Bali – Five Indonesian men were jailed on Wednesday for terms running from three to six years for helping to hide one of the top suspects for last year's Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 people.

Bill Guerin, Jakarta – Indonesia's macro indicators are probably better today than they have been at least since the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98 wrecked the economy.

La Remmy, Palu – A bomb blast rocked Betania village in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi, as police intensified the hunt for masked gunmen who killed at least nine people in recent raids in the violence-torn district.

Dan Eaton, Jakarta – With the air of a trained librarian, the shopkeeper runs his finger along a shelf stacked with brightly coloured packages. Skipping over "Macho Man", his hand comes to rest on a bold red and white sachet, "Kuku Bima".

Max Lane – Australia Professor William Liddle's article of October 6 in this newspaper appears to analyze the Megawati Soekarnoputri government's policies in a kind of reality vacuum.

Sydney – Australia's opposition slammed the government's plans to revive military links with Indonesia's special forces Tuesday, after the cancellation of a visit by its chief over alleged human rights abuses.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Noted religious leader Hasyim Muzadi blamed poor intelligence and political interests on Monday for the renewed violence in Poso, Central Sulawesi that has claimed at least nine lives since Sunday.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – Masked gunmen who slaughtered eight Christians in Central Sulawesi over the weekend may have timed the killings to coincide with the Bali bombing commemoration then due to begin just hours later.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Indonesian Army has turned down Australia's invitation for some of its Special Forces (Kopassus) officers to talk about antiterrorism training in Perth.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Last week's celebration of the 58th anniversary of the Indonesian armed forces (TNI) was one of pomp and military muscle.

The newly acquired Russian Sukhoi jets screamed overhead as red beret troops engaged in special manoeuvres.

Jakarta – The jailed head of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) urged Jakarta officials on Tuesday to shut down bars, discos and nightclubs during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan or face possible raids.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Hundreds of fishermen living on the banks of the Muara Angke River in Pluit, North Jakarta, rejected on Monday an offer from the North Jakarta administration to compensate them with money as it plans to evict the fishermen from their makeshift houses on Tuesday.

Tony Stephens, Kuta – More than 90 per cent of Balinese communities suffered a fall in income and school drop-out rates were up to 60 per cent after the Kuta bombings, according to a report released yesterday.

Damar Harsanto, Jakarta – For Sumaryono, 24, and his mother, Iis Iswati, 45, hospital treatment is a luxury only for the rich.

Jakarta – A Muslim militant was jailed for 20 years by an Indonesian court on Monday for a 2000 bomb attack on the Philippine ambassador's residence which killed two people and badly wounded the Manila envoy.

Singapore – Indonesia can do more to curb Islamic schools that served as a training ground for extremists who carried out some of the deadliest attacks since the September 11, 2001 strikes, a senior politician said on Monday.

Kuta – Indonesia vowed yesterday to hunt down five Bali bombers who are still at large one year after the attack as more than 2,000 mourners held an emotional service to commemorate those killed.

"Make no mistake that those outstanding suspects will be hunted down," top security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono told the crowd. "History will condemn them for ever."

The greatest obstacle to upholding the law in Indonesia is located in the capacity and resoluteness of law enforcement agencies in the enforcement of legislation, rather than the need to compliment or clarify existing legal instruments.

Evi Mariani, Jakarta – Hundreds of fishermen living on the banks of Angke River in North Jakarta have decided to stay put despite an eviction notice from the North Jakarta administration, and are questioning the city administration's policy of allowing two luxury housing complexes to be built on a nearby water catchment area.

Peter Cave: Well, the death of al-Ghozi may have been a small victory, but the continuing fight against regional terrorism has suffered a setback, it seems, with Australia and Indonesia at loggerheads over plans for closer defence cooperation.

Matthew Moore, Jakarta – The Australian Government has refused to allow the commander of Indonesia's Kopassus special forces to accompany his officers for anti-terrorism talks in Perth in a move that threatens the Government's plan to resume training Kopassus troops.

Indonesia's chief security minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for a new defence pact with Australia, saying it was needed to promote the fight against terrorism.

Jakarta – The consumer confidence index – which measures the people's perspective on the economic situation – declined in August, Bank Indonesia said over the weekend in its latest report.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The cool response from the public with regard to the recruitment process for Commission for Corruption Eradication (KPK) executives indicates people's distrust in the government's move against corruption, observers have said.

Jakarta – Six Christians have been killed, and more are feared dead, in attacks by unidentified armed men on three villages in Indonesia's Central Sulawesi province, police said on Sunday.

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – An expert witness testified in the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday that there was nothing libelous in over 50 articles run by Tempo weekly about the country's largest textile company, the PT Texmaco Jaya Group.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, Jakarta – As talks with city administration officials on violent evictions have become futile, three human rights commissions called on Thursday for a moratorium on all eviction plans in the next 180 days, pending an evaluation of the city's policy on eviction.

Jakarta – Former president Soeharto has made a brief third visit to his youngest son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in an island prison, his aide said on Friday.

Soeharto, accompanied by two other sons Sigit Haryoyudanto and Bambang Trihatmojo, flew by helicopter to Nusakambangan island off south Java on Thursday.

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – The simplest statistic about the economic impact of the terrorist bombings in Bali a year ago this Sunday is that two McDonald's have closed. That's not just an indicator of decimated tourist arrivals.

Dadan Wijaksana, Jakarta – While many people are worried about the economic outlook for next year because of the legislative elections and the ending of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout program, many economists are filled with optimism.

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – All 50 eligible political parties beat the midnight deadline for registration with the General Elections Commissions (KPU) on Thursday, paving the way for their participation in the 2004 general elections.

Aboeprijadi Santoso, Radio Netherlands, Brussels – The public hearing on Aceh and Papua held by the European Parliament in Brussels on October 1 was a rare but important occasion. It also showed support for Indonesia. But Jakarta declined the invitation, leaving the international community out in the cold.

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Suspended workers of state-owned aircraft maker PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) threatened on Thursday to break into the company's compound if the management refused to allow them to return to work within a week.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Major political parties contesting the 2004 general election have failed to woo support from poor people living in urban areas, according to a recent poll.

Jakarta – The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has completed its 10th review of Indonesia's performance under a 5.2 billion-dollar extended fund facility arrangement and approved the release of a further US$493 million loan.

Damar Harsanto and Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – Thirty-four political parties filed a complaint with the Jakarta Police on Wednesday against members of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights' party verification team, alleging that they accepted bribes during party screening.