Politics

More educated, more ruthless
From the Archive David Bourchier (ii53: Jan-Mar 1998) looks at the new generation of military leaders, after a big shakeup between July and October 1997
'Selamat Berbuka Puasa'
In South Kalimantan local politicians target TV screens with strategically-placed messages for Ramadan
Land, ethnicity and politics
Direct local elections have led to new developments in the struggle for land rights in East Kalimantan
The right to choose
Indonesian activists keep fighting to have abortion decriminalised
The Aceh Party
The elections were tense in Aceh but in the end helped to consolidate the peace process
Down but not out
Islamic political parties did not do well, but Islamic politics are going mainstream
The eagle has crash-landed
Despite an unprecedented media campaign, Prabowo Subianto’s political comeback has fallen flat – for now
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
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
Winning the villages
Grassroots political operators hold the key to many candidates’ success