It's a masquerade party

From left: Yudhoyono, Megawati Sukarnoputri, Jusuf Kalla.

Kid: It's a festival of democracy, right dad? So how come they smile at each other on TV but criticise each other behind their backs?

Father: It's a masquerade party, don't you know!

In stark contrast to the petty point scoring and mudslinging that has characterised the presidential election, candidates spent most of the first televised debate joking and complimenting each other.

Kompas – June 27, 2009

No election campaign in the mud

Kid: How come there's no election campaign in the mud dad?

With no end in sight to the Lapindo mud flow disaster in East Java, which has now inundated 800 hectares of land and displaced more than 42,000 people, when asked about how they intended to solve the problem, the best presidential candidates could do was to talk about the need for "more leadership", "better coordination" and "finding the best technology".

Kompas – June 20, 2009

Foreign exchange? Yes!

Politician: Foreign exchange? Yes!

Man: But what they need is protection and legal certainty...

Despite contributing around US$6.4 billion (three times the country's foreign direct investment) in foreign exchange annually, the government continues to ignore the abuse and exploitation of the country's 6 million migrant workers that it likes to call 'foreign exchange heroes'.

Kompas – June 17, 2009

I'm the people's representative!

Legislator: How many thousands of times have I told you, I'm the people's representative! So it's sufficient for me to represent your prosperity. Got it!

Papers in pocket read: Bribery, corruption, severance pay.

Kompas – June 13, 2009

Wisdom is still being sought.

1st Man: Incidents keep recurring, wisdom is still being sought.

2nd Man: But wisdom isn't really part of the election campaign is it?

While presidential candidates Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla argue over whether defense spending is adequate, a string of fatal accidents involving the TNI's aging fleet of aircraft is becoming a national embarrassment.

Kompas – June 10, 2009

Pancasila must be implemented!

Politician: It's not enough just to memorize and familiarise yourself with Pancasila, it must be implemented!

Man: So you're actually implementing it then?

Amid calls to renew the pluralistic values enshrined in the national ideology of Pancasila, the government has come under fire over the enactment of divisive laws that legitimise violence against ethnic and religious minorities.

Kompas – June 3, 2009