Local Politics

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
Papuan romance
New norms about love and marriage alter the rules for the young
Brothers in arms
Papuan footballers score goals against HIV.
Inventing Papua
Migrants from South Sulawesi have played an important role in manufacturing a Papuan identity
An unholy alliance
Political thugs and political Islam work together in Banten
Trouble in Paradise
A land conflict on the tourist island of Gili Trawangan dates back decades
Angel sparks controversy
Journalists strike after West Java’s most famous newspaper ‘withdraws’ poem.
Singapore, not sawit
Tourism campaigns in East Kalimantan fall short of provincial middle class aspirations
Shifting faultlines
In the aftermath of religious conflict, ethnic difference is becoming more prominent in Ambon
Behind the jamboree
Direct local elections give Jakartans a say in their city’s future
How strong is local tradition in the face of the modern state?ARIANNE VAN DER MEER attends a ceremony in Sumatra's Minangkabau area, famous for its matrilineal culture. She finds that the cultural symbols do survive. But they are now also tools in the hands of the central government.
Guerillas in power
Last December, candidates affiliated to the Free Aceh Movement (GAM ) swept to power in local government elections in Aceh. They now face great challenges in meeting the high expectations of their supporters and dealing with incipient corruption in their own ranks.
Old elites in Central Kalimantan discover new and dangerous strategies
After the New Order, pomp and ceremony is returning to dusty palaces all over Indonesia
Ethnicity now plays a role in local politics in South Sumatra but money still rules