Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – In the lead up to the 2009 general elections many legislative candidates are using advertisements in the mass media to campaign for themselves. Some however are only being polished up by the media without informing the public about what they have done for the nation and state.

Hadi Santoso, Jakarta – The retreat of key cadres to other parties has left the Labour Party overwhelmed in its attempts to compose a list of legislative candidates.

Laurencius Simanjuntak, Jakarta – Actions by residents articulating their aspirations will compliment the hustle and bustle of Jakarta and nearby Tangerang today, Tuesday August 5.

According to data from the Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Centre, five protest actions will be held in Jakarta and one in Tangerang.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – Government opposition figures gathered at the Century Park Hotel in the Senayan area of Central Jakarta on Saturday July 5 to discuss the problems of the nation, which may possibly become an arena of lobbying by the political elite in the lead up to the 2009 general elections.

Through massive protest actions last year, workers throughout Indonesia united and successfully defeated efforts to enact the proposed draft revisions to Law Number 13/2003 on Labour that they believed failed to side with workers. For the majority of workers however, their struggle is far from over.

Nurul Hidayati, Jakarta – Traffic in the Senayan area of Central Jakarta is guaranteed to be congested today, Tuesday April 8.

Ken Yunita, Jakarta – Three protest actions will enliven the House of Representatives (DPR) in Senayan, Jakarta, on Monday March 18. Each of the three protests will be taking up different demands.

Reza M., Jakarta – The Metro Jaya regional police Traffic Management Center (TMC) is warning road users of the possibility of traffic jams as a result of protest actions that will colour Jakarta on Wednesday February 27. According to the TMC there will be no less than 13 demonstrations today, with the first starting at 9.30am.

Ibnu Rusydi/TMC, Jakarta – Protest actions will colour the capital city on Thursday January 24. The Metro Jaya regional police intelligence and security directorate has received notification of seven planned demonstrations.

Jakarta – The small political parties in the House of Representatives (DPR) who are unable to pass the electoral threshold of 3 percent are looking for the best way to participate in the 2009 general elections.

M. Rizal Maslan/Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – The Solidarity Action Committee for Munir (Kasum) doubts the neutrality of Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan as the presiding judge in the judicial review of the Munir murder case.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – Mondays are usually the starting point of each persons activities for the week. Likewise also for demonstrations in the capital. Six points across the city will see the arrival of protesters from various groups with different types of demands.

Indra Shalihin, Jakarta – Because environmental destruction, humanity is becoming muddy and angry. Scores of these ‘mud people’, formed up in a circle pounding their feet on the ground as they danced and shouted.

Iqbal Fadil, Jakarta – The construction of the Muria nuclear power plant (PLTN) in Central Java continues to attract criticism from various circles who say the construction as bring a new catastrophe to the Indonesian ecology and a disaster to the environmental sustainability.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – The House of Representatives (DPR) Commission I on foreign affairs has commended the measures being taken by the National Intelligence Agency (BIN) in conducting a counter campaign against foreign parties linked to the issue of West Papua.

[The following is a compilation of reports from Detik.com on the March 29 mass rally planned by the National Liberation Party of Unity against the ratification of the Draft Law on Capital Investment that was attacked and broken up by the Islamic Defenders Front. Translated by James Balowski.]

Muhammad Nur Hayid, Jakarta – The ratification of the Draft Law on Capital Investment by the House of Representatives (DPR) is drawing opposition. The Poor People’s Network (JRM) opposes what they call a new form of colonialism and are urging the DPR not to ratify the draft into law.

Jakarta – Around 200 residents who said they were flood victims protested at the House of Representatives (DPR) building in South Jakarta demanding that Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso resign from his post.

Jakarta – New political parties continue to surface. After 27 new political parties registered recently with the department of justice and human rights, there is now one more party, the National Liberation Party of Unity (PPPN or Papernas), that is ready to follow suit.

Ramdhan Muhaimin, Jakarta – Although the 2009 general elections are still three years away, 27 seven new political parties have already registered with the department of Justice and Human Rights. The new parties range from the New Order Party to the Satria Piningit Party.