The people of Indonesia & their culture, politics, economy and environment - Inside Indonesia: The peoples and cultures of Indonesia

Political Parties

Utopians for parliament

An interview with leaders of the Indonesian Green Party

A parliamentary free-for-all

Indonesia’s political parties have lost control over the national budgeting process, as members of parliament prioritise their constituencies – and themselves.

Stories that bridge time

Young researchers discover that the victims of history hold a secret every Indonesian should know

Citizenship restored

Communism continues to be a taboo in Indonesia but ‘former communists’ have finally regained their rights

The business of politics in Indonesia

Warburton 1 Prabowo and Team at Senayan Rally Credit Liam Gammon

Democratic institutions are increasingly burdened by the illicit transactions and collusive practices of politico-business elites

Strange bedfellows

An unlikely alliance between former rebels and a former New Order tormentor will test the limits of Partai Aceh loyalty

Married with children

It runs in the family: the Limpo clan on display, Michael Buehler

The second round of direct elections for governors and district heads shows that democratisation is allowing powerful families to entrench themselves in local politics

Review: Power politics

Jeffrey Winters’ Oligarchy is an epic work of comparative political insight but has little that is new to add to the study of Indonesia’s politics

A house for all Muslims?

The United Development Party is determined to survive as a political force

Front stage with the PKS

At its upmarket congress, Indonesia’s biggest Islamic party tried but failed to convince it has become an open and inclusive party

Transcending personality politics

The election of Anas Urbaningrum suggests Partai Demokrat can survive without its founder, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

A storm in a bank vault

The much publicised ‘Bank Century’ case is unlikely to do any lasting damage to SBY

Princess of populism

Megawati Soekarnoputri stakes her claim to opposition, but will it be enough to stem her party's decline?

Gerindra and 'Greater Indonesia'

Prabowo’s party has deep roots in Indonesian political mythology

'Selamat Berbuka Puasa'

In South Kalimantan local politicians target TV screens with strategically-placed messages for Ramadan

The Aceh Party

The elections were tense in Aceh but in the end helped to consolidate the peace process

Symbols and signs

Photo-essay: PKS is often depicted as radical Islamist, but its members show evidence of ideological diversity

Dominant but weak

Signs of underlying fragility in nationalist parties may benefit Islamic parties in future elections

Chaos and consolidation

The April 2009 legislative polls exposed weaknesses in Indonesia’s electoral management, but the results will help to strengthen the democratic polity

Not just an elite game

In Bali, it’s neither policy, parties nor entrenched elites, but image-savvy politicians and an all-powerful media that are dominating the new electoral landscape

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Lontar Modern Indonesia

A selection of stories from the Indonesian classics and modern writers, periodically published free for Inside Indonesia readers, courtesy of Lontar.