Jakarta – Participants of the Kamisan (Thursday) actions in Jakarta are pessimistic that either presidential candidate (capres) is willing to resolve cases of past gross human rights (HAM) violations.

Because of this, they are thinking about going to the polling stations (TPS) but not voting for either one of the candidates.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – Tommy Suharto’s Working Party (Partai Berkarya) has spoken out about communism – which is banned in Indonesia – in relation to the seizure of books deemed to contain communist ideas in Padang on January 8. The party says that groups who are against former President Suharto are pro-communist.

Jakarta – Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairperson Agus Rahardjo says that the panelists and the presidential election campaign teams of incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and rival Prabowo Subianto have agreed not to discuss specific human rights cases during the first presidential debate.

Ihsanuddin, Jakarta – A December 2018 survey by Denny JA Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) shows that six parties contesting the 2019 legislative elections will not get enough votes to pass the parliamentary threshold of 4 percent required to gain a seat in the House of Representatives (DPR).

Reza Jurnaliston, Jakarta – Tommy Suharto’s Working Party (Partai Berkarya) is asking parties which were “revered” by Tommy’s father and the 2nd president of Indonesia, Suharto, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to build the Working Party by contributing ideas, votes, labour, prayers and materials.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – Human Rights (HAM) activists in Indonesia have few expectations about the first debate between the presidential (capres) and vice-presidential (cawapres) candidates on January 17.

Fabian Januarius Kuwado, Jakarta – The coordinator of the Commission for Missing Person and Victims of Violence (Kontras), Yati Andriani, hopes that panelists will ask hard questions about human rights (HAM) during the first presidential debate which will be held on January 17.

Ya’cob Billiocta – 212 Alumni Brotherhood Secretary General Bernard Abdul Jabbar believes that the Koran reading test for prospective presidential (capres) and vice presidential candidates (cawapres) proposed by the Aceh Proselytizing Association Council is not relevant in national elections.

Danu Damarjati, Jakarta – The election campaign team of incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and running mate Ma’ruf Amin says that they support the proposed Koran reading test for presidential and vice presidential candidates.

Tsarina Maharani, Jakarta – The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) says that there is a party which has a “stomach ache” over the invitation by the Aceh Proselytizing Association Council (Dewan Ikatan Dai Aceh) for presidential and vice presidential candidates to take part in a Koran reading test.