A people's coalition?

Man: Yes! He's won! Kid: A people's coalition?

Politician: Not necessarily! (monitor reads 'political machine' count)

For many ordinary Indonesians, the contest between incumbent Jakarta governor Fauzi Bowo and Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo has come to symbolise a race between an establishment figure willing to use any means possible – including inciting racial and religious hatred to score cheap political points – and a humble grass-roots figure who would transcend such divisions while hoping to create a new Jakarta.

Kompas - September 22, 2012

Don't play favourites

Legislator: Don't play favourites (pointing to KPK chief Abraham Samad)

Legislators are accusing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) of cherry-picking cases for investigation with the specific aim of pursuing law-makers while ignoring cases involving members of President Yudhoyono's ruling Democrat Party after the KPK named several legislators from the House's graft ridden Budget Committee that it planned to call in for questioning.

Kompas - September 19, 2012

Pandora's Box

Man: If you open this Pandora's Box, who's going to pop out Mr?

Always on the look out for an opportunity to score political points against their opponents, a plan by legislators to setup a new enquiry into the controversial Bank Century bailout suffered an embarrassing setback when former anti-graft chief Antasari Azhar (left) refuted media reports that he said President Yudhoyono (top-right) led a high-level meeting in October 2008 to discuss a bailout plan for the following month.

Kompas - September 15, 2012

Dual loyalties

...Officials shouldn't have dual loyalties

Muqoddas: Please, set an example Mr!

Man: The king is willing to give up his party, yeah right!

A call by President Yudhoyono for his ministers to resign their posts if they are preoccupied with preparing the 2014 election has been slammed as little more than a public relations campaign as he himself remains the chairperson of the Democratic Party's board of patrons, with Corruption Eradication Commission Deputy Chairperson Busyro Muqoddas telling the president to back up his call by setting an example.

Kompas - September 8, 2012

National Sports Project

Man: Now that it's all over, how come it's just being abandoned?

Youth & Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng: It's a National Sports Project isn't it.

Having spent trillions of rupiah of tax payer's money on the construction of facilities for the 2008 National Games (National Sports Week, PON) in East Kalimantan, a lack of funds and political bickering over who is responsible for maintenance has left most of the facilities in such a state of disrepair that they are no longer usable.

Kompas - September 6, 2012

Failed state

Puppets: Violence... horizontal clashes!

Man: Disregarding a phenomena that keeps repeating itself... that's a failed republic

Kid: No it's not Dad... it's a prosperous republic postponed!

Instead of addressing the key issue that led to Indonesia being categorised in a recent study as being in the "warning" zone toward a failed state – religious violence – President Yudhoyono has turned to the Indonesian Ulema Council to help improve the country's image, the very body that is fanning the flames of hatred against religious minorities.

Kompas - September 1, 2012