Jakarta – It is doubtful that the 2004 general elections will produce a new leadership which can break the vicious circle of continuing economic, social and political crisis.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Golkar has decided to delay selecting a presidential candidate until after the legislative election in April 2004 instead of its targeted date of February 2004.

Muninggar Sri Saraswati & Tiarma Siboro, Banda Aceh/Jakarta – Family members of Indonesian Military (TNI) personnel have been told to back presidential candidates who accommodate th

Kurniawan Hari and Ainur R.

Moch. N.

Kurniawan Hari and Suherdjoko, Jakarta/Semarang – The Golkar convention series to select its presidential candidate remains far from complete and nothing is sure except for the fact tha

Moch. N.

Kurniawan Hari and Moch. N.

Jakarta – The assessment by number of groups is that the 2004 general elections represent a critical period, where it is hoped that a political transition towards democracy will occur.

Damar Harsanto and Moch. N.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Major political parties contesting the 2004 general election have failed to woo support from poor people living in urban areas, according to a recent poll.

The Justice and Human Rights Ministry's team tasked to ascertain whether political parties are eligible to contest next April's general election has been accused of taking bribes.

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Evi Mariani, Jakarta – As the administration continues to evict squatters from land owned by the city and private companies, political parties have begun to

To celebrate its 58th anniversary, which falls on October 5, the Indonesian Military (TNI) has picked "Make the general election a success" as the commemoration's theme.

Tiarma Siboro and Indra Harsaputra, Jakarta/Surabaya – Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid is facing an uphill challenge in his bid to regain power, even within his National Aw

Blontank Poer, Jakarta – Some people may have taken Shakespeare's "What's in a name?" to heart and decided they needed more weight to their names, yearning for the prestige of a royal t

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The Golkar Party would take advantage of widespread disappointment with the so-called reform parties to woo support from the public, particularly from

Moch. N.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – Two conflicting camps at the municipal branch of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) in the North Sumatra capital of Medan, filed lawsu

Sutarto urged politicians on Friday not to invite the military back into politics and suggested that the institution stay neutral in the 2004 general elections.

Robert Go, Jakarta – President Megawati Sukarnoputri's complaint this week that the job of running Indonesia gives her headaches has made political rivals, as well as a member of her ow

Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – A number of organizations criticized on Tuesday the General Elections Commission (KPU) for its failure to consult the public in many of its roles.

Jakarta – Revoking the status of a military emergency in Aceh is a prerequisite for holding general elections in Aceh. If not, it will be difficult to hope for quality elections.

Faced with the serious threats posed by other political parties in the 2004 general elections, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has closed ranks in a move to consolid

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Despite high public distrust toward political parties, abstention will not be that significant in the 2004 general elections, political analysts say.

Max Lane, Jakarta – On August 28, the Party of United Peoples Opposition (POPOR) submitted the necessary documentation to the Indonesian authorities to be registered as a legal politica

Jakarta – It is hoped that society will be on its guard against the possibility that Regional Representative Assemblies (DPD) will not become an platform for "old" politicians to make a

Sari P. Setiogi and M.

M.

Bengkuliu, Bengkulu – Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) Aburizal Bakrie reminded everyone that Bank Indonesia was the country's monetary authority.

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The 2004 general elections should not be used as an excuse by the government to maintain the presence of thousands of troops in the war-torn Aceh province, says

Jakarta – Indonesian armed forces (TNI) chief General Endriartono Sutarto has stated that the TNI is considering extending the integrated operation in Aceh until the 2004 general electi

A'an Suryana and Mochammad N.

Derwin Pereira, Jakarta – Behind every man is a powerful woman, or so runs an old cliche. In the corridors of Indonesia's presidential palace, the roles have been reversed.

Dili – East Timor's leaders met Monday to discuss "urgent" measures to control the activities of a militant nationalist group that has been accused of fomenting instability in the new n

Former Armed Forces Commander Wiranto has re-stated his determination to run for the presidency.

Moch. N.

Maryadi, Jakarta – The Committee to Guard against the New Order (Komite Waspada Orde Baru, KWOB) has put forward 10 conditions for presidential candidates for the period 2004-2009.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) decided on Tuesday that an electoral district for the regional legislative councils (DPRDs) in regencies and provinces w

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, Jakarta – A leading figure within President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) has been dismissed, fueling tensions

A move that began with pressure from several reformists within the ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) to replace party functionaries allegedly involved in vote buyin

Jakarta – Although the hopes and interests of society with regard to the 2004 general elections are very positive and indicate an attitude of enthusiasm, society feels pessimistic about

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Close to tears, veteran politician Akbar Tandjung handed in his application form to contest the race for the Golkar party's candidate for the 2004 general electi

Former Indonesian military chief general Wiranto, who is accused by rights groups of war crimes in East Timor, said he would contest next year's presidential election on a ticket from t

Devi Asmarani, Jakarta – In the end, the murky world of politics, where money, power and clout sometimes hold more sway than the merits of goals and projects, probably got to Muslim sch

The withdrawal of noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid from the presidential race by way of the Golkar convention has revealed the existing of two contending forces with different hid

When Nurcholish Madjid announced last week that he was withdrawing from the Golkar convention that will be held to select its presidential candidate, he was not the only one who felt di

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – The Golkar party's popularity has been at stake following the withdrawal of noted Muslim intellectual Nurcholish Madjid, popularly known as Cak Nur, from the par

A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Leaders of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) across the country have thrown their support behind chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, in

Tiarma Siboro and A'an Suryana, Jakarta – Respected Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid announced his withdrawal on Wednesday night from the Golkar Party convention to select presidential