Indonesia's progress towards national elections has had a rather inasupicious start ... with the Indonesian Electoral Commission rejecting calls to extend enrolment deadlines.

Sri Wahyuni, Yogyakarta – Gadjah Mada University (UGM) is planning to replace the obligatory community service program – which is traditionally undertaken by undergraduate students in t

Jakarta – The city administration told political parties on Thursday not to place their flags and banners in public places before the campaign period for the 2004 General Election begin

Surabaya – Dozens of people grouped under the banner of the Indonesian Youth Struggle Front (FPPI) rallied on Thursday to support a poll boycott, saying the political parties contesting

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) said on Thursday it would carry out daily monitoring of the ballot box production process beginning Saturday.

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Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) asked the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the 24 political parties eligible for the elections to reach a

Frans Sudiarsis, Research and Development Unit, Jakarta – One of the leaders of the reform movement to topple Soeharto in 1998, Amien Rais was once very confident that we could bid good

Jakarta – The involvement of the TNI-AD (the army) in making the 2004 general elections a success does not represent an effort or ambition on the part of the TNI-AD to extend its role.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The government has drafted a campaign regulation that will ban top state officials, including the President and her ministers, from using state facilities duri

Lee Kim Chew – Indonesia's Golkar party could stage a major political comeback and beat President Megawati Sukarnoputri in the presidential election this year.

A. Junaidi, Jakarta – The Habibie Center, a study center founded by former president B.J.

Jakarta – Holding the elections in conflict areas such as Aceh will not result in quality elections.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – A recent survey reveals that although many respondents trust the current presidential candidates, most of them prefer other candidates to lead the nation for t

Yogyakarta – One thousand students of Gadjah Mada State University (UGM) will actively empower eligible voters and watch the 2004 electoral process in Yogyakarta villages as part of the

Ahmad Fikri, Bandung – In order to fulfill the requirements of the National Election Commission (KPU), a number of provincial legislative candidates have submitted copies of diplomas wh

Anindhita Maharrani, Jakarta – A number of youth organisation under the banner of Youth Community (Kaum Muda) have protested the list of legislative candidates [for the 2004 general ele

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Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – The problem of security is not the only stumbling block to holding the 2004 general elections in Aceh.

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Taufan Hidayat – Public protests are so common in Jakarta these days that they are regularly cursed – usually with good reason – by the gridlock-weary taxi drivers of Indonesia's capita

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – While noted figures, scholars and some politicians have expressed support for the national movement against unscrupulous politicians, Golkar chairman Akbar Tan

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – As many as 13,996 TNI (Indonesian armed forces) members and police officers will be involved in securing election stations during the 2004 general elections in

Yogyakarta – Some 20 students of the Indonesian Students Association (HMI) and the Proletarian Student Community (Kompor) here Tuesday staged a rally to reject general elections and sea

Jakarta – Indonesian police will deploy up to 24,000 personnel to safeguard legislative and presidential elections in restive regions next year, a report said Tuesday.

Denpasar – TNI-AD (army) chief General Ryamizard Ryacudu has again reminded his officers to take a neutral stand in the coming elections, and not take sides with any of the political pa

Jakarta – The political parties contesting the 2004 general election will not be allowed to file the names of any more legislative candidates following the expiry of the deadline on Mon

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Hope for the best, but be prepared for the worst.

Jakarta – Old names are still dominating the candidate members for the People's Representative Assembly (DPR) in the lists submitted on Monday, December 29, to the General Election Comm

Jakarta – Syamsudin Haris, a political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), predicts that 60-70 per cent of old politicians will win seats in the People's Represen

Jakarta – Dozens of activists and public figures have launched a national movement which will urge Indonesians not to elect "rotten" politicians in next year's legislative and president

Fedhly Averouss Bey, Jakarta – The University of Indonesia (UI) Student Executive Council (BEM) together with BEMs throughout Indonesia have formed the National Student Alliance in the

Kurniawan Hari and Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) will launch on Monday a nationwide information campaign on politicians running for office.

Andi Hajramurni and A'an Suryana, Makassar/Jakarta – Around 100 angry rank-and-file Golkar Party supporters held a demonstration here on Saturday to protest the change in priority numbe

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Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – Prominent Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid is pursuing his presidential bid next year by launching a book on nation-building titled Indonesia Kita [Our Indonesia

Jakarta – There is concern that the organisation of the general elections in Aceh will face a number of serious complications because there are a number of contradictory legal stipulati

Jakarta – At least 1732 state civil servants from a number of departments are still members or heads of political parties.

After withdrawing as a presidential contender for Golkar Party, Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid seems to have run out of room to move in his efforts to seek a strong political par

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Down but not out, is perhaps the idiom that fits the Indonesian Military (TNI) the most after the reform movement in 1998 put an end to three decades of undemoc

Urip Hudiono, Jakarta – The Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation (YLBHI) has slammed the Army chief's statement that he would deploy troops if the 2004 elections turn into bloody chaos, sayi

The candidacy of three daughters of founding President Sukarno in the upcoming 2004 general elections has opened up new potential for a test of the loyalty of nationalist voters and pos

Jakarta – In Jakarta on Thursday December 25, army chief of staff General Ryamizard Ryacudu, explained that army intelligence has obtained indications that the 2004 elections will be ta

Jakarta – Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) Chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin expressed hope that people in the provinces of Maluku, North Sulawesi and Papua would not boycott

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – High-profile minister Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is a dark horse likely to steal the spotlight from incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri as she strives for r

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Government critics, students, and non-governmental organization activists on Tuesday launched a nationwide drive aimed at urging the people not to elect "dirty

Robert Go, Jakarta – Indonesian soldiers will be mobilised to take control of the situation should next year's elections "turn bloody", the army's top officer has warned.