“If Jokowi and Prabowo go head to head in 2019, they almost definitely cannot, and should not, repeat the strategies they used in 2014”.

Arbi Sumandoyo – “Jakarta is filthy. We have to be macho. Jakarta is filthy. It must be cleaned up... must be cleaned up”, shouted a speaker through a loudspeaker from a command vehicle on May Day in front of the Jakarta City Hall.

“So make a pile. All in one place. We’ll clean the City Hall of these unclear messages...”

Khaerur Reza, Yogya – Because of the great many government policies that fail to side with women, women are still treated second-class citizens and only identified by the kitchen, the bed and washing.

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.

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!

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

Yogi Bayu Aji, Jakarta – The Political Alternative Committee Alliance (AKPA) held a protest action at the General Election Commission (KPU) offices on Jl. Imam Bonjol in Central Jakarta on Thursday March 13 calling on the public to oppose the 2014 elections.

Edzan Rahardjo, Yogyakarta – The elections will be held soon on April 9. For various reasons however, there are still many who are expressing their opposition to the five-yearly festival of democracy.

Ivan Aditya, Yogya – Scores of demonstrators from the Central Java and Yogyakarta Province Advocacy Circle for Women (Link-AP) held an action to commemorate International Women’s Day (IWD) at the Yogyakarta Monument on Saturday March 8.

Ivan Aditya, Sleman – A group of students calling themselves the Yogyakarta Indonesian Student Union (SMI) held a theatrical action opposing the 2014 elections at the Sunan Kalijaga Islamic State University (UIN) intersection in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta on Wednesday March 5.

Activists have slammed a General Elections Commission plan to criminalise campaigning for golput (abstaining or invalidating a vote) ahead of this year’s legislative and presidential elections.

Price list reads: Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) 100 million rupiah, House of Representatives (DPR) 200 million, Regent 300 million, Governor 500 million, President 1 billion

With many senior government officials vying with each other to be nominated by the major political parties as presidential candidates (Capres) and more than 90% of lawmakers running as legislative candidates (Caleg) in the April general elections, the political elite have all but abandoned the pretence of trying to run the country.

Man: Ahh, all that’s changed is the year and they’ve gotten older...

Caleg: It’s also changed my fortunes!

Man: Don’t go saying my party is a corrupt party!

Sherr Rinn – Between 2010-12 there was an awakening of the Indonesian labour movement that can be seen in the writings of people such as Danial Indrakusuma, Rahmat, Tarikh, Hidayah and Rekomendasi.

Man: His smile helps wash away...