In true keeping with the classic political adageare no permanent friends or enemies, but interests", some politicians have decided to put old rivalries on the back burner in the run-up

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Public hopes for a democratic election received a new boost on Wednesday, with the government throwing its weight behind a political move to introduce an open

Aubrey Belford, Jakarta – With his sculpted abdominals proudly displayed on his Facebook profile, male model Adrian Maulana cuts a very different figure to the ex-generals and dynastic

Eko Ari Wibowo, Jakarta – The National Election Commission rejected on Tuesday the application of Pelopor Party for failing to meet the minimum percentage of female legislator candidate

Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2009 general elections many legislative candidates are using advertisements in the mass media to campaign for themselves.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – The predominately Muslim province of Aceh Nanggroe Darussalam is requiring thousands of its legislative candidates to take a Koran proficiency test befor

Jakarta – Three activists has filed for a judicial review with the Constitutional Court on Wednesday to demand it annul several articles in the 2003 law on presidential elections.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Scores of Golkar politicians have questioned the party's seriousness in adopting an open system to determine its legislative candidates for the 2009 election.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Despite a glut of new contenders for the presidency in 2009, it looks likely the President and his predecessor will square off in a repeat of their 2004 duel, a

Hadi Santoso, Jakarta – The retreat of key cadres to other parties has left the Labour Party overwhelmed in its attempts to compose a list of legislative candidates.

Erwida Maulia, Jakarta – The preference of some political parties to use the majority vote as the basis for the selection of legislative candidates will prejudice the chances of female

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono X has been deemed the country's most competent presidential candidate, defeating both President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his predec

Oyos Saroso H.N., Bandarlampung – Seven Lampung gubernatorial candidate pairs took part in a live televised debate organized by Lampung's General Elections Commission (KPUD) and Metro T

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The country's two biggest political parties are reviving attempts to establish a coalition for the 2009 presidential race.

Adianto P.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – More than 36 million voting-age citizens might be staying at home for the 2009 legislative election, as a recent survey shows their names are not included in the

Adianto P.

Dian Kuswandini and Maulina Sartika Pravitasari, Jakarta – The country's 10 years of reform failed to achieve the main goal of providing prosperity for all, thanks to "instant leaders"

Vannessa Hearman – Indonesian labour activist and chairperson of the Deliberative Council of the National Liberation Party of Unity (Papernas), Dita Sari, has declared that she will run

Adianto P.

Jakarta – Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, chief patron of the fractured National Awakening Party (PKB), said his camp had fired both Effendy Choiry and Ikhsan Abdullah from the party's cen

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – After hard and painful events, ranging from political and military conflict to the tsunami disaster, the people of Aceh can now enjoy more political free

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – More than half of all the preliminary lists of eligible voters (DPS) released by villages and subdistricts throughout the country contain outdated data, a survey

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – A series of defeats in regional elections and threats of disunity have led Golkar Party leadership to scrap its control of the distribution of legislative seats

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – On a talk show recently, soap opera actor Adrian Maulana looked momentarily baffled when confronted with the question, "What makes you dare enter politics?"

Adianto P.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Indonesia has seen regime changes, but the tyranny of capital has always determined the road to power, with the democratic process benefiting only the wealthy

Abdul Khalik – Former president Megawati Soekarnoputri and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) would sweep to victory in both the legislative and the first-round preside

Jakarta – The Star Reform Party or PBR has signed a Minimum Commitment with the Indonesian Poor People's Union (SRMI), which will be used to bind the PBR into struggling for the people'

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Acehnese politicians are no longer required to be proficient in reading the Koran to be eligible for the upcoming national legislative elections.

Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Around 70 housewives went to the Star Reform Party (PBR) offices on Jl.

Jon Lamb – On July 15, the final report from the joint Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) was officially received by the governments of Indonesia and East Timor.

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – At the opening of the Association of Islamic Students (HMI) congress in Palembang on Monday, the Golkar chairman and his predecessor shook hands and exchanged sm

Jakarta – "The Democrats must find another coalition partner," said politics expert, Indra J. Piliang, yesterday.

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Peace campaigners warned mobilizations of youth groups in the election campaign currently underway could lead to outbreaks of violence similar to recent viole

While 34 national political parties will contest the general elections in April 2009, the contest in Aceh will be very different.

Andi Hajramurni, Makassar, South Sulawesi – In an attempt to attract female voters, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has vowed to increase the number of its female legislators to 15 f

Indra Harsaputra and Wahjoe Boediwardhana, Surabaya – The five pairs of gubernatorial candidates have failed to adequately address the issue of the devastating mudflow in Sidoarjo, East

Desy Nurhayati and Andra Wisnu, Jakarta – The Supreme Court has dealt Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid and his supporters a heavy blow that will expel him from the party he helped found in 1

Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) remain the most popular political parties ahead of next year's national elections, while incumb

Desy Nurhayati and Adianto P.

Hotli Simanjuntak, Banda Aceh – Six local Aceh parties now eligible to contest the 2009 elections, are determined to make a clean sweep of the 96-seat provincial legislative council, no

Aubrey Belford, Jakarta – Indonesia kicked off a mammoth nine-month legislative election campaign Saturday with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition under pressure over

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Although most of the 34 parties running in next year's election are divided along the nationalist-Islamic line, voters made it clear in a recent survey their cho

Sara Webb and Olivia Rondonuwu, Jakarta – A small, influential Islamist party in Indonesia is alarming moderates who fear this secular but predominantly Muslim country may head for wide

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has widened its lead over the Golkar Party by more than 11 percent, according a new survey released Wednesday

Desy Nurhayati, Jakarta – Normally elections are about campaign funds and strategy but, believe it or not, some political parties consider which number they draw for the 2009 polls a cl

Rohman Taufiq, Surabaya – About a hundred high school (SMA) students from Surabaya, Gresik, and Sidoarjo, demonstrated together at the Negara Grahadi building in Surabaya, today (10/7).

Desy Nurhayati and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The 18 new parties contesting the 2009 legislative election are unlikely to transform the political face of the country, analysts said Tuesday

Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – With the General Elections Commission having announced 34 parties eligible to run in the 2009 elections, old players and newcomers are gearing up for the nine-mo