Jakarta – The Draft Law on Regional Elections (RUU Pilkada), which abolishes the direct election of regional heads and was successfully enacted into law (UU Pilkada) by the parties backing Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition (KMP) is a threat to democracy.

Kartika Virgianti, Jakarta – One hundred and thirty-two civil society and non-government organisations (NGOs) have expressed their concern over Indonesian democracy which will soon return to the era of the New Order dictatorship.

Anang Zakaria, Yogyakarta – Ten non-government organisations (NGOs) and student groups in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta are demanding the annulment of the recently enacted law on regional elections (UU Pilkada) that abolished the direct election of regional heads.

Muhammad Muhyiddin, Jakarta – The walkout by 129 members of the Democratic Party faction just prior to the House of Representatives (DPR) vote on the Draft Law on Regional Elections (RUU Pilkada), which abolished the direct election of regional heads, appears to have been a political maneuver or game.

Dany Permana, Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) board of patrons chairperson Prabowo Subianto says he is grateful that the mechanism for electing regional heads through Regional Legislative Councils (DPRD) has become a reality.

Nala Edwin, Jakarta – Prabowo Subianto’s Red and White Coalition has succeeded in returning the election of regional heads into the hands of Regional Representative Councils (DPRD) as it was under the New Order dictatorship of former President Suharto.

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.

Angga Yudha Pratomo – Presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto seemed furious on Wednesday July 9 after he invited media crews to his residence in the Bojong Koneng village area in Hambalang, Bogor, West Java. He didn’t shy from making insinuations against media that don’t support the Number 1 ticket.

Atmi Pertiwi, Jakarta – US investigative journalist Allen Nairn has spoken out about Indonesia’s two presidential candidates. Although he has a negative opinion of presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, his views about presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo are not necessarily positive either.

Miftahul Khoer, Jakarta – The Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) has disclosed that there are at least 35 retired generals supporting the Joko Widodo-Jusuf Kalla or Jokowi-JK presidential ticket.

Editorial staff – Senior Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) figure Sabam Sirait says that PDI-P vice presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla (JK) who will run alongside PDI-P presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in the 2014 presidential elections deposited 10 trillion rupiah (US$870 million) with PDI-P chairperson Megawati Sukarno

Sunariyah, Jakarta – Workers apparently are still traumatised by the administration of former President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Although more than 10 years have passed, they still recall several of Megawati’s policies that brought suffering to workers. One of these was the policy on outsourcing that is still in force to this day.

Jakarta – Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Rieke Diah Pitaloka has criticised President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s (SBY) state of the nation speech as being no different from a work of science fiction.

Jakarta – More than half of voters are confused about the current political situation. A survey by the Soegeng Sarjadi School of Government indicates that as many as 51.45 percent of respondents have yet to make their choice of political party. Yet the 2014 legislative and presidential elections are less that a year away.

Jakarta – The political system in Indonesia is controlled by a capitalist oligarchy. This group represents a handful of individuals who use material power to determine political policies and the election of public officials.

[The following is a joint statement by the Yogyakarta Working People’s Association-Political Organisation Congress (KPO-PRP), the Politics of the People (PR) and the People’s Liberation Party (PPR).]

Safari Sidakaton – International Women’s Day (IWD) was commemorated by a variety of different women’s communities and organisations that united under the International Women’s Day Action Committee (KAHPS), which presented a “Claim for Payment” to government institutions and agencies on Friday March 8.

Bahri Kurniawan, Jakarta – Commemorating 16 years since the attack on the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) headquarters on July 27, 1996, banners and a billboard filled the former site of the PDI office on Jl. Diponegoro in Central Jakarta.

Laurencius Simanjuntak – Founded on July 22, 1996, or when Suharto’s New Order regime was still savage and cruel, it was not an easy time for the People’s Democratic Party (PRD). Moreover the social-democrat orientated party explicitly declared its opposition to Suharto’s power.