With about half the vote counted in East Timor's parliamentary elections, the crucial role of the minor parties has become more clear – and the head of the small Democrat Party is emerg

M.

Dili – For the third time in as many months, East Timor's people lined up and voted in high numbers.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Minor parties have called for the electoral law to be changed to allow them the run in coalitions in the 2009 legislative election.

Wahyoe Boediwardhana, Malang – It's no longer acceptable for the country's leaders to cry or talk their way out of the nation's many problems, former president Megawati Soekarnoputri ha

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – The Jakarta Elections Commission on Saturday announced there were 5.7 million registered voters for August's gubernatorial election, or about 75 percent

Karen Michelmore and Jill Jolliffe, Dili – Almost 30 years on, Zulira and Adelino Coelho are still waiting desperately for news on their son.

[In the final of our series on East Timor politics, Fabio Scarpello speaks to Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva.]

Jakarta – Urban groups and non-governmental organizations are calling on gubernatorial candidates to accommodate the diverse needs of the city's inhabitants and uphold human rights in d

Seth Mydans, Dili – During the past week, convoys of vans and trucks have wound through the streets of this tiny seaside capital loaded with chanting, cheering men and women.

Geoff Thompson

Erwin/Gunanto/Tomi, Jakarta – Akil Mochtar, a Golkar Party politician, has said that internal competition inside his party is heating up after the meeting between Golkar and the Indones

Ridwan Max Sijabat and Slamet Susanto, Jakarta/Yogyakarta – The National Awakening Party (PKB) said it will remain cautious when considering alliances with other parties over the delibe

In East Timor, half a million people will cast their votes on Saturday to elect their second government since gaining independence just five years ago.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Despite few residents turning up, the first day of extended voter registration caused headaches and mixed responses at the offices of the Jakarta Electio

[In the first of a series on the issues surrounding East Timor's upcoming elections, Fabio Scarpello reports from Dili, examining the differing proposals on how to spend the nation's ri

Tito Belo, Dili – A number of people were hurt in clashes between rival political supporters in East Timor on Wednesday as campaigning ended ahead of parliamentary elections in three da

Tony Hotland and Imanuddin Razak, Jakarta – A fragile coalition between Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) is facing another challenge – this time from

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – The Javanese saying "you will learn to love someone if you see them every day" has been lost on Jakarta voters.

The media was vilified at rallies and one journalist was beaten during elections in East Timor this year, according to a report by observers from New Zealand that calls for criminal pro

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – The door has officially been shut on voters not registered for August's gubernatorial election, with hundreds left off the rolls.

Jakarta – Nan Main knows that she is a registered voter, but doesn't know who she'll be voting for in August.

Tito Belo, Dili – East Timor's President Jose Ramos-Horta on Friday urged the winner of next week's parliamentary elections to form a unity government in a bid to heal divisions in the

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – A likely alliance between Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in the 2009 presidential election is projected to be short-lived,

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Around 1.2 million of Jakarta's eligible voters have not been registered for the August gubernatorial election, two national institutions announced Thurs

Apriadi Gunawan and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Medan – The Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) held their first joint public gathering here Tuesday, paving the

Green Left Weekly's Vannessa Hearman spoke to Agus Jabo, chairperson of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas), in Jakarta about the new party's campaign plans and its defenc

Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – A non-governmental group is urging residents to play an active role in monitoring the performance of the city's next governor and deputy governor, who will b

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) admitted on Sunday that senior members had offered to support several generals as candidates for depu

Prodita Sabarini, Jakarta – Almost 30 percent of eligible Indonesian voters think academics and intellectuals would make the best regents, governors and presidents, a much higher propor

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – Teething problems in the legislation of direct elections make "money politics" and "political monopolies" inevitable in the Jakarta gubernatorial electio

Jon Lamb – The start of the official campaign period for East Timor's June 30 parliamentary elections has been marred by violence, including killings.

Samantha Brown, Jakarta – The new party of East Timor's ex-president Xanana Gusmao appears likely to head a government after parliamentary polls this month despite a lack of policies to

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Political analysts said Tuesday that fewer political parties would lead to a more effective government.

Max Lane – The Socialist Party of Timor (PST) is fielding 65 candidates in the June 30 parliamentary elections, and also has 25 candidates on the supplementary list (which comes into op

Jakarta – The New Indonesia Alliance (PIB) Party aims to participate in the 2009 elections, whether in a coalition or independently, with calls for the non-voting and apathetic communit

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – How much does it cost to become governor?

Jakarta – The struggle to make independent candidates (non-political parties) be included in the Jakarta Governors Election this year failed.

Nograhany Widhi K., Jakarta – Around 300 people from the Urban Poor Union (SRMK) demonstrated in front of the Constitutional Court on June 6 demanding that the court review Law Number 3

Banda Aceh – The Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has begun to initiate steps to form a local political party.

Stephen Fitzpatrick, Jakarta – Two supporters of East Timorese President Jose Ramos Horta have been shot dead by off-duty police as trouble mounts ahead of parliamentary elections.

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – A recent survey found most Jakartans would like to see the emergence of an independent candidate in August's gubernatorial election.

East Timor's new president Jose Ramos Horta says the nation's police force continues to suffer from a lack of discipline, after officers allegedly shot dead two activists during rallies

Dili – A mob hurled rocks at the motorcade of East Timorese independence hero Xanana Gusmao and one of his supporters was shot dead Sunday amid growing violence ahead of parliamentary e

Gunmen shot dead a political activist during a campaign rally for a new party headed by former East Timor President Xanana Gusmao, a witness and an official says.

Jon Lamb – Amidst allegations of intimidation and politically orchestrated violence in the wake of East Timor's recent presidential election, political parties are preparing for the Jun

Tito Belo, Dili – Four people were injured on Wednesday when a grenade exploded during gang fighting in East Timor's capital as campaigning for next month's parliamentary elections got

Jakarta – The Republika Nusantara (RepublikaN) Party, a newly-founded political entity, aims to become the first and only party in Indonesia with International Organization for Standard

Yudha Setiawan – As many as 53 new political parties have registered with the Department of Justice and Human Rights.

M.