A last minute change of heart by President Yudhoyono’s Democrat Party, which will give a 14 seat majority in parliament to the parties opposing a draft law (RUU Pilkada) on regional elections, may not be enough to stop the passage of the bill with speculation rife that the Democrats are split as its key lawmakers have been offered leadership pos

Man: Responsibility isn’t just about compensation Mr! (hand reads humanity)

Man: A new paint job or improved performance Mr?

As former New Order general Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition parliamentary majority prepares to pass a law that would put an end to the direct election of regional heads, a poll released Tuesday by the Indonesian Survey Circle found that 81.25% of respondents want local leaders to be elected directly by the people – not regional legisl

Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) believes that the election of regional heads should be carried out by regional legislative councils (DPRD) because representative elections through the DPRD can minimalise the negative aspect of direct elections.

Jakarta – Around 10,000 workers from 30 labour federations that make up the Indonesian Trade Union Congress Alliance (KASBI) Confederation held a demonstration at the Hotel Indonesia (HI) traffic circle in Central Jakarta on Monday afternoon.

Wijaya Kusuma, Yogyakarta – Investigators from the municipal police Special Crimes Detective Unit (Dit Reskrimsus) in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta have seized two luxury cars from the Yogyakarta-Central Java chairperson of the Islamic Defenders Front, Bambang Tedy.

Man: Political acrobatics!

Jakarta – Starting in 2015, the wage remuneration system will be revised. Workers will be paid based on education level, productivity, length of employment, achievements and position. Demands for wage increases will only be implemented if a company is profitable.

Man: The people’s rights are being hijacked Mr

Rio Kuswandi, Bandung – An alliance of social groups from various sectors of society held a protest action in front of the Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) building on Jl. Diponegoro in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung on Wednesday September 10 to oppose the draft law on regional elections (RUU Pilkada).

Pribadi Wicaksono, Yogyakarta – The Yogyakarta Workers Alliance (ABY) has slammed the draft law on regional elections (RUU Pilkada) saying it will bring suffering to workers in the future.

Amid mounting calls by big business, the IMF and the World Bank to redirect costly fuel (BBM) subsidies to ‘productive investment’ (read tax breaks and businesses subsidies), President Yudhoyono (left) appears likely to leave such an unpopular decision to president elect Joko Widodo (right) rather than be remembered in his last month in office f

Man: Later this kind of thing won’t happen anymore like now, right Mr?

Kid: The next episode in the presidential election dispute soap opera right Dad?

Smart people (find it hard to) pay tax – a campaign slogan to encourage people to pay tax. Sign reads ‘Tax collection service’.

Kid: All the best for August 17 Mr!

Prizes read: Human rights, fuel [prices], poverty, culture of corruption, law [enforcement], sectarian conflicts.

Man: Freedom!

Independence Day celebrations on August 17 marking 69 years since Indonesia won independence from Dutch colonial rule will be muted this year with many parts of the country suffering from blackouts due to government restrictions on the sale of subsidised fuel.

Garuda Pancasila, I am your supporter, a patriot of the proclamation, ready to sacrifice for you... (from the nationalist song Garuda Pancasila).

Arnold Belau, Papuan, Jayapura -- Two members of the Manokwari district West Papua National Committee (KNPB), Robert Helemaken (17) and Oni Weya (21) were arrested and severely beaten by Manokwari city municipal police on August 8.