Man: Thinking about our misfortunes right Mr?

Lawmakers, whose terms will end in October, are making sure that the whopping US$26 million budgeted by the House in 2013 for overseas junkets doesn’t go to waste, with three groups of lawmakers visiting New Zealand in April and May to conduct so-called ‘comparative studies’ to gather information related to legislation (one group will visit the

Kid: What kind of leader will we get? (newspaper reads ‘Money Politics’)

Child sexual assault (kekerasan sexual) – which appears until now to have been rampant but widely ignored in Indonesia – has again made front-page news following reports of the rape of a 6-year-old at the Jakarta International School, sparking much soul-searching in the media and calls to impose harsher punishments on perpetrators.

Door reads: Intensive Care Unit. Sign on bed: Moral Crisis. Bed cover: Corruption, bribery, judicial mafia, money politics, violence, terrorism, racial, religious and ethnic conflicts, sexual harassment, lives lost, pedophilia... Drip reads: Pancasila.

Politicians: We’re ready to pair up

Woman: We’re used to ‘dieting’ (bag reads Basic Goods, Instant Noodles)

Kid: We need a real leader!

Man: Naturally all our leaders are... hardened (criminal) leaders!

Kid (speaking to President Yudhoyono): Where do you want me to take this Mr?

Kid: So coalitions are like that yeah Dad? (cake reads ‘power’, badges read ‘political party X’, ‘political party Y’, ‘political party Z’)

Man: What we’re invariably left with is nepotism/lots of hassles (a play on the word nepotisme)

As quick counts (exit poll) start to come in from Wednesday’s election, failure to secure seats has begun to impact some legislative candidates (caleg) who spent exorbitant amounts of money to buy votes, with several mental hospitals (RSJ) announcing that they have prepared special VIP facilities to treat candidates who are dealing with severe p

According to a recent survey by a coalition of NGOs, no matter which legislative candidates (caleg) people vote for in today’s general election, corrupt, lazy and incompetent politicians are set to dominate national and regional parliaments, with only 95 out of more than 200,000 candidates having clean records and reasonable levels of competency

Man: Well, there’s lots of used up legislative candidates aren’t there!

Signs read: Election stall, Buy and sell used votes. Documents read: Ballot papers.

1st Man: Look out, carbon emissions!

2nd Man: Look out, promise emissions!

Signpost reads: Riyal, dignity, poverty, improving quality of life.

Man (speaking to KPK chief Abraham Samad): There’s an unpleasant odor of social aid funds isn’t there Mr?

The tongue indeed has no bone
Is not marked by words
A mountain of a thousand promises
What is said may differ from what is felt

(from a song by Bob Tutupoly)

Document in legislative candidate’s pocket reads: Track record, money politics, corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Man: This isn’t a standup comedy is it? (documents in basket read ‘Perspectives 2009’)

Kid: For the sake of April 9 they’re all going on leave, who’ll run the country Dad?

Man: For... well that’s how it is!

With President Yudhoyono leading the pack, six ministers have now officially requested ‘campaign leave’ to stump for their political parties in lead-up to April 9 legislative elections.

Before election...

After election...

Badge reads Legislative Candidate. Chest reads Budget.