Political parties are engaging in a game of celebrity one-upmanship as they rush to sign on stars for the 2014 elections.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The "oligarchic" leadership that Aburizal Bakrie is developing within the Golkar Party is threatening democracy and undermining the party itself, according

Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Golkar Party has started a program to recruit and give political training to celebrities so they can run for office in the 2014 elections.

The place of the rebellious Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) in the ruling coalition again appears secure, despite weeks of discontent from members of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's

Anna Powles, Dili – In a vote influenced by nationalism and nostalgia, Timor Leste's voters overwhelmingly chose former defense force chief Jose Maria Vasconcelos, more commonly known b

Nethy Dharma Somba and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jayapura/Jakarta – Papuan lawmakers have urged Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi to replace caretaker governor Syamsul Arief due to him being "incap

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Having failed to get reelected in the Aceh gubernatorial election on April 9, Irwandi Yusuf has established a new political party.

Jakarta – A senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician says former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, has the authority to determine which member will be its presi

Former guerrilla fighter Taur Matan Ruak has officially won East Timor's presidential election, according to a court statement that confirmed preliminary results announced last week.

Ezra Sihite & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie will meet the party's senior politicians later this week as he continues to face opposition to a poten

Ezra Sihite – Critics have panned the House of Representatives' new seat allocation, saying it does not properly represent constituents as the House's population data is not valid and t

Rizky Amelia, Ezra Sihite & Novianti Setuningsih – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party called Friday's verdict in the corruption case of its former treasurer Muham

Max Lane – The second round vote for the President of Timor Leste has been announced.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) patron Taufiq Kiemas considered the latest survey result, which stated that 18 percent of the surveyed audience would vote for

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Jakarta – Several residents of West Jakarta have complained of annoying pictures of the Jakarta governor candidates Hidayat Nurwahid and his running mate Didik J.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Several leaders from Golkar's regional branches have warned party chairman Aburizal Bakrie of the growing opposition from within the party to his intention

Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) urged lawmakers on Tuesday to revise the 2004 Law on regional administration, claiming that loopholes within the regulation have triggered ram

Ezra Sihite – Responding to questions about Aburizal Bakrie's chance to win 2014 presidential election, the Golkar Party says its own recent survey shows its chairman's electability con

Agus Maryono, Banyumas – Debts of billions of rupiah to fund political campaigns are being blamed for corruption among regents and mayors across the country, with many owing money to a

Guido Goulart, Dili, East Timor – Two former guerrilla leaders vied for East Timor's presidency Monday, each hoping to help steer the region's newest and poorest nation after UN peaceke

Meagan Weymes – Former guerrilla Taur Matan Ruak has won East Timor's presidential run-off by a wide margin, preliminary results showed Tuesday, in a pivotal year for the nation almost

Hotli SImanjuntak, Banda Aceh – A return to the polls in at least five of the 17 regencies and municipalities across Aceh is being demanded to address claims of "cheating" in the April

Michael Bachelard, Dili – A military man recommended by the United Nations for criminal prosecution six years ago seems almost certain to become the new president of East Timor.

Muhammad Nazar, one of a number of candidates running for the Aceh governorship, was surprised when he was informed that he had barely gathered 8 percent of total votes in the unofficia

Meagan Weymes – Former military commander Taur Matan Ruak was ahead in an early count for East Timor's presidential run-off vote on Monday, according to the elections secretariat.

Jakarta – The Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) praised the recently endorsed Elections Law, saying that the amended legislation carried provisions that could help impr

On last Monday, voters in Aceh went to the polls to elect a governor, a deputy governor and 17 mayors and regents.

Ezra Sihite – Presidential hopeful Aburizal Bakrie's popularity is growing, Golkar Party officials said on Monday, citing the results of a recent party-backed survey measuring the popul

Jakarta – With the presidential election only two years away, Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie has demonstrated his strong intention to become the party's presidential aspirant through m

Ezra Sihite, Agus Triyono, Robertus Wardi & Markus Junianto Sihaloho – Despite more than two years of lobbying and backroom deals, the only significant difference between the 2009 e

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Police have arrested two former Free Aceh Movement members for allegedly masterminding a string of armed attacks in Aceh ahead of the province's recently-comp

Zakir Hussain – When The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) opposed cuts to fuel subsidies by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's government, fellow coalition members angrily called for th

Unrest has broken out in East Timor, where the campaign office of presidential candidate Taur Matan Ruak has been attacked in the lead-up to the election on Monday.

Dili – East Timor's second presidential election as a free nation will see two ex-guerrillas compete in a run-off vote on Monday, after the Nobel Prize-winning incumbent was knocked out

Jakarta – More than 69,000 registered voters in the capital of Aceh province, Banda Aceh, did not cast their votes in the April 9 regional elections (pilkada), according to an Aceh offi

Ezra Sihite & Arientha Primanita – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party appears keen to have two opposition parties join the government coalition, despite the pair

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Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – The newly-endorsed Legislative Elections Law will make no significant changes for better elections and democracy in the future because it is purely based o

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Robertus Wardi – Lawmakers at the House of Representatives only work earnestly when the issue at hand affects their parties' hold on power, an activist said on Thursday.

Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore in on Thursday new members of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Elections Monitoring Body (Bawaslu) for the 2012-2017 ter

Ezra Sihite – A leaked speech by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono from a Democratic Party meeting on April 1 seems to counter suggestions that the president followed the Golkar Party'

Ezra Sihite – The Democratic Party played down media reports of a leaked speech by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during an internal party meeting on April 1, but said it would inve

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – Just a day after Monday's largely peaceful elections, protests flared up in Aceh over allegations of cheating.

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – The ruling Aceh Party is expected to win the gubernatorial, mayoral and district head polls due to the party's strong structure of command right down to the v

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Similar to former president Megawati Sukarnoputri, Golkar Party Chairman Aburizal "Ical" Bakrie has a strategic role to play as kingmaker in the 2014 presi

Ezra Sihite – Golkar Party lawmakers will have to spend Rp 10 million ($1,090) each on merchandise emblazoned with party chairman Aburizal Bakrie's face as part of his 2014 presidential

Nurdin Hasan, Banda Aceh – An Aceh election official has warned of potential dirty tricks and intimidation in the province's remote areas during the vote count that will follow Monday's

Michael Bachelard – One of two candidates likely to win the election in Indonesia's troubled westernmost province of Aceh has accused the other of authorising up to 13 murders in the le