Noticias

Jakarta. Prabowo Subianto, a former general turned presidential candidate, is raising his own herd of cattle as he seeks to woo Indonesia’s farmers with a promise to make them the centerpiece of a push to revitalize the economy.

Former Democratic Party chairman and graft and money laundering suspect Anas Urbaningrum seems to have a lot of bullets to shoot at his former boss and current party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

After a round of questioning at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Friday night, Anas said an audit report of Yudhoyono’s 2009 reelection campaign finances he submitted to investigators listed bogus donors — both individuals and corporations — whose names were used to cover up illicit funds allegedly funneled from the Bank Century bailout.

Jakarta. The constellation of parties competing in next month’s legislative election appears to run the gamut of the political spectrum, from nationalist to populist to Islamic conservative. But dig a little deeper beneath the labels, analysts say, and the truth is that there is very little to distinguish any of the 12 parties vying for votes.

Anticorruption activists have expressed their concerns over speculation that Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Abraham Samad will be a vice presidential candidacy in the July 9 presidential race, saying the development could disturb the antigraft body’s impartiality.

Speculation intensified after Abraham made a statement suggesting he did not reject being paired with one of the presidential candidates.

Gerindra Party presidential hopeful Prabowo Subianto said in a campaign rally at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Central Jakarta on Sunday that Indonesia must become a nation that was able to meet the needs of its people without depending on imports.

“The Indonesian people have vast agricultural areas, but we still have to import cassava, corn, garlic and papaya from other countries. Under the leadership of Gerindra, Indonesia must become a producer, instead of consumer,” said Prabowo, who is also the party’s chief patron, as quoted by Antara news agency.

The Indigenous People’s Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) has called for the immediate ratification of the indigenous people’s rights acknowledgment and protection bill, so the well-being and sustainable livelihoods of indigenous people can be protected.

“We urge the Indonesian government to immediately implement the Constitutional Court and House of Representatives’ decisions to pass a bill on the acknowledgment and protection of indigenous people’s rights,” AMAN secretary-general Abdon Nababan said in a statement in Jakarta on Sunday, as quoted by Antara news agency.

An official with the General Elections Commission (KPU) has said that with the deadline approaching, it is still short 1.6 million ballots.

“We only have three days prior to our deadline of March 25 to print those ballots,” said KPU commissioner Arief Budiman during a KPU event in Bangkalan regency, East Java as quoted by Antara news portal on Saturday.

But then he acknowledged that it would only need a day or two to finish printing the remaining ballots. The KPU has allocated 750 million ballots for the upcoming general election.

Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle's (PDI-P) presidential candidate, visited the central board of Muhammadiyah on Thursday, the country’s second largest Muslim organization, and met with its chairman Din Syamsuddin.

This was Jokowi’s second visit to the Muhammadiyah central board office in Jakarta during his governorship.

Upon arrival, Jokowi, Din and the rest of the entourage performed a mass Duhur prayer in the Muhammadiyah mosque with Jokowi as the imam (leader of the mass prayer).

Jakarta. A legal challenge by lawyer and Crescent Star Party (PBB) head Yusril Ihza Mahendra that threatened to turn Indonesia’s presidential election on its head was rejected on Thursday by the country’s Constitutional Court.

“With respect to the content of the articles and sections contained in the law that has been examined, there can be no further appeal.” Harjono, a justice at the Constitutional Court, said while reading out the verdict.