Jakarta – In the midst of the current decline in the popularity of national leaders, a potential for the emergence of new leaders is opening up.

Windoro Adi – It was just like the good old days when on the afternoon of Friday July 28, RMH Heroe Syswanto NS Soerio Soebagio, who is affectionately called Sys NS, appeared once again in an event at a hotel in Jakarta.

Windoro Adi – “We are grateful that the government has finally acknowledged our fallen son a hero of reformasi. They did not die in vain”, said Hiratetty, the mother of Elang Mulia Lesmana at a press conference at the Trisakti University campus on Monday May 8.

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – The government has finally completed compiling the Draft Law on a Government for Aceh and is ready to submit it to the House of Representatives (DPR). President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will today – Wednesday January 25 – study the final draft to prepare a Presidential Instruction (Ampres).

Jakarta – The first anniversary of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Vice President Jusuf Kalla (SBY-JK) on Thursday October 20 was accompanied by demonstrations in a number of place in Indonesia including in front of the State Palace (Jakarta), Solo (Central Java) and Palembang (South Sumatra).

Ewo Raswa, Jakarta – The Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) says that the popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has experienced a decline of as much as 13 per cent over the last month.

Arin Widiyanti, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is to be sued by 4.1 million Acehnese people on the grounds that his broke his campaign promise by extending the civil emergency in Aceh. The suit is be registered with the Central Jakarta State Court by the People’s Lawyers Union (Serikat Pengacara Rakyat, SPR).

Jakarta – Non-government organisations (NGOs) say that the policy decision by the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to extend the state of civil emergency in Aceh is disappointing.

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The extension of the state of civil emergency in Aceh by the government though Presidential Decree Number 2/2004 has been condemned by three non-government organisations (NGOs) who believe that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) has broken his promise to resolve the conflict in Aceh peacefully.

Nur Raihan, Banda Aceh – The prolonged conflict in Aceh cannot be resolved by arms. It is hoped that the new government will seek a fresh alternative to resolve the Aceh question instead of the integrated operation which has been implemented to date.

Rofiqi Hasan, Jakarta – Scores of students in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, held a demonstration on Wednesday October 20 to coincide with the inauguration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) and Vice-president Jusuf Kalla.

Bagus Kurniawan, Yogyakarta – Coinciding with commemorations of the 59th anniversary of the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI), hundreds of Yogyakarta students from a number of different groups held actions on Tuesday October 5 calling for soldiers’ wages to be increases and rejecting militarism.

Suwarjono, Jakarta – Don’t miss an opportunity, that’s the journalist’s motto and this includes the final moments in the lead-up to the “finals” of the second-round of the presidential election.

M. Rizal Maslan, Jakarta – A national meeting of civil society involving around 200 non-government and social organisations has taken a decision not to vote in the second-round of the presidential elections on September 20 because they have no faith in the two presidential candidates who are contesting the election.

Triono Wahyu Sudibyo, Semarang – Two student groups have held actions to commemorate July 271. One of the groups presented the Central Java National Election Commission (KPU) with a gift of rotten tomatoes while another group brought flowers.

Jakarta, Kompas – A number of non-government organisations (NGOs) and students from the pro-democracy movement have rejected the planned deliberation of the draft law on the Indonesian National Armed Forces (RUU TNI) by the People’s Representative Assembly (DPR).

Luhur Hertanto, Jakarta – The level of golput1 in the first round of the presidential elections was higher in comparison with the legislative elections. In comparison with international standards however, the level of golput in Indonesia is still small.

Dadan Kuswaraharja, Jakarta – The People’s Democratic Party is calling on the public not to use their right to vote or golput (boycott) in the second round of the presidential elections.

Astrid Felicia Lim, Jakarta – The People’s Democratic Party (PRD) is pushing for the investigation into the July 27 case1 to be continued including the investigation of the generals [who have been implicated in the affair].

Diyah Kusuwardhani, Jakarta – On July 3, or two days before the election of the next president on July 5, there will be a demonstration against militarism. A massive demonstration is to be held in Jakarta and accompanied by nation-wide actions.