Ibnu Hariyanto, Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2019 presidential and legislative elections in April a movement has emerged promoting golput or white movement, meaning those who do not vote for any one of the candidates. Does this violate the law?

Jakarta -- Civil society organisations grouped under the Civil Society Coalition have declared that not casting a vote or golput (white movement) in elections is a right and not a crime. Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation (LBH) Director Arif Maulana asserts that not voting or golput is a political choice in a society.

Jakarta – The planned release of Abu Bakar Bashir has turned into a polemic with the government still vacillating about whether or not to release the leader of the Indonesian Mujahidin Council (MMI).

Amid a series of arrests of high-profile politicians in sting operations by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), many voters were eagerly awaiting the first live presidential debate scheduled for tomorrow evening between incumbent President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo (left) and vice presidential running mate Ma’ruf Amin and rival Prabowo Subia

Irwan Rismawan, Jakarta – The lawyer representing Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior investigator Novel Baswedan, Saor Siagian, believes that there are parties which are intentionally taking advantage of the 2017 acid attack against his client as a commodity for their political campaigns.

Jakarta – Attacking each other, slander and the use of SARA (sectarian and identity politics) being accentuated by the presidential election candidates is disappointing the millennial generation. They are now threatening that if the situation does not improve, they will golput (abstain from voting) in the April 17 general elections.

Jakarta – Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra) Central Leadership Board Chairperson Desmond J Mahesa is convinced that presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto will not shy away from solving the 1997-98 abductions of pro-democracy activists if he is elected as president.

Jakarta – The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) hopes that the candidates who will fight it out in the 2019 presidential election can explain their views on what they will do with regard to the Ahmadiyah, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and the families of former Indonesian Communist Par

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.