Jakarta – The Prosperous and Justice Party's (PKS) decision not to include President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on its list of presidential candidates will not hurt the President, preside

Jenna Hand – East Timor's Opposition Leader has denied a rally of up to 70,000 anti-government protesters would breach the fragile peace in the South-East Asian nation.

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Less than six months before the 2009 legislative elections in April, the public still have no idea about when they will take place, according to a survey relea

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Entering their final year in office, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla remain unable to live up to their campaign promises to sig

Banda Aceh, Indonesia – A grenade exploded outside the office of former separatist rebels in Indonesia's once-restive Aceh province Thursday, but no one was reported injured, a police o

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Observers are warning the 2009 legislative elections could fail because of the poor performance by the General Elections Commission (KPU) in preparing the nati

East Timor's Opposition Leader has rejected Government accusations that the Fretilin party is stoking security tensions by planning a mass demonstration.

Canberra – East Timor's government accused the opposition Fretilin party of stoking security tensions in the restive country Wednesday, as Australia announced plans for a limited troop

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The internal bickering within the Golkar Party could develop into a bitter split, following its failure to address local branches' demands for the party to name

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The fear of losing in voting on the presidential election bill is forcing factions in the House of Representatives to seek compromises.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – In an attempt to boost its showing in next year's elections, the Golkar Party has assured its supporters it is serious about implementing an open system to deter

Dili – East Timorese Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao threatened Monday to arrest protesters who respond to opposition calls for a mass antigovernment rally, amid concerns for the country's

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's popularity is on the rebound after previous polls put him behind rival Megawati Soekarnoputri, but is facing a new threat f

Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – A week away from its Oct.

Adianto P.

Abdul Khalik and Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Political parties' ambitions to cling to power and their attempts to improve on their bargaining position ahead of the 2009 elections have dom

Adianto P.

Abdul Khalik and Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – A voting mechanism will be legislators' last resort to pass the presidential election bill, with most major factions at the House of Represen

Adianto P.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – The ideal proportion of votes a party must win to be able to put forward a presidential candidate would be around 20 percent, which would create a solid and e

The General Elections Commission (KPU) has, after some delays, finally published the preliminary list of 11,868 legislative candidates for the total 560 seats in the 2009 elections.

An opposition plan for a massive march on East Timor's capital and rumours of tension in the police force are raising concerns of a return to instability in the tiny Southeast Asian nat

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Golkar Party is facing the threat of internal disintegration, with influential members and affiliated groups seemingly at odds with party chairman and Vice P

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Informal lobbying within the House of Representatives special committee deliberating the presidential election bill is expected to expedite a decision on the

East Timor's prime minster says he will not allow a new wave of instability as the opposition Fretilin party prepares for a demonstration in the capital Dili.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – In an attempt to promote transparency and prevent illegal funding in the presidential election, the House of Representatives has agreed on prison terms for ca

Jose Sarito Amaral, Jakarta – Prime Minister of East Timor Xanana Gusmao dismissed Fretilin's threat to bring in thousands of supporters to urge East Timor government to hold a general

Famega Syafira/Wikipedia, Jakarta – Fretilin demanded a re-election in East Timor, the party Secretary General Mari Alkatiri said on Thursday when meeting the chairman of Muhammadiyah,

A preliminary list of legislative candidates eligible to compete in next year's elections was published last Friday, sending many of the country's 38 registered parties into a frenzy of

Abdul Khalik and Irawaty Wardany, Jakarta – Vice President Jusuf Kalla has hinted at his readiness to stand as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's running mate in the 2009 presidential

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Sunday announcement that he will run for reelection, which came 10 months before the 2009 presidential election scheduled fo

Jakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said he will run for a second term in next year's election, with Vice President Jusuf Kalla his probable running mate.

Adianto P.

Jakarta – House special committee drafting the bill on the president and vice president election have agreed to include a provision to fine candidates who bail out prior to the election

Olivia Rondonuwu and Ed Davies, Jakarta – Retired Indonesian general Wiranto, a controversial figure over rights abuses in East Timor who looks set to run for president next year, said

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Most people in the country believe all political parties offer empty promises and are unable to change Indonesia for the better, a survey released Friday shows.

Adianto P.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Aceh might be dubbed the "Veranda of Mecca", but that seems to have done little to help the 81 candidates for the Aceh provincial legislative council who

Hestiana Dharmastuti, Jakarta – House of Representatives (DPR) legislative member Ade Daud Nasution has been dismissed from the house and his membership of the Star Reform Party (PBR) r

Banda Aceh – Political parties in Indonesia's Aceh province pledged peace Friday for the first national elections since government and rebel forces signed a deal to end decades of war.

Aubrey Belford, Jakarta – The old faces of Indonesia's elite look set to dominate next year's presidential election but new blood is needed to end the poverty and corruption plaguing th

Suherdjoko and Desy Nurhayati, Semarang, Jakarta – National Awakening Party (PKB) members affiliated with Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid have besieged a local elections commission office f

By Budi Wardoyo¹

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – A number of non-governmental organizations in Bandung announced Monday an "anti-rotten" politician campaign, asking people not to vote for politicians who ha

Suwardiman – The image presented by elite leaders and a political party appears to be the main consideration that will increasingly be taken into account by prospective voters in the 20

Suwardiman – The geo-political map in the 2009 general elections could be very different from previous elections.

[The following are notes intended to be the first in a series of informal commentaries on the 2009 Indonesian election campaign.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – The Aceh Independent Election Committee (KIP) emphasized Sunday that the planned Koran proficiency test for legislative candidates in the province would

Jakarta – Former president Abdurahman "Gus Dur" Wahid says he will support former minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra in the presidential election next year.

Jakarta – Candidates of House of Representatives member from Aceh are scheduled to follow Koran reading test next week, as part of candidacy criteria.