Slander and defamation are not criticism, presidential spokesman says

Soon after his re-election, Airlangga announced that he would create new positions within the party’s leadership structure to accommodate several senior party members, including Jusuf Kalla, Jokowi’s former vice president, and Luhut Pandjaitan, a senior Golkar politician and a key figure at the State Palace.   

Airlangga Hartarto will remain at the helm of Golkar after members of the nation’s second-largest party reelected him in a decision that was widely expected given that potential challengers had withdrawn from the leadership contest.

A majority of the respondents (73.9 percent) also believed that political considerations were the “biggest obstacle” preventing the government from resolving the cases.

The Jakarta Corruption Court had found Idrus guilty of receiving Rp 2.25 billion (US$159,688) worth of bribes from businessman Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo in return for the rights to develop the Riau-1 power plant and sentenced him to three years' imprisonment.

“What is not allowed is to share [the videos] because sharers can be charged under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UU ITE),” he said.

Assembly leaders have said the constitutional amendment will simply reinstate the now-defunct State Policy Guidelines (GBHN), a legacy of former president Soeharto’s New Order regime. However, certain parties are pushing for a wider-ranging amendment. 

Megawati said that during her tenure as the country’s fifth president, she helped Prabowo who had an unclear citizenship status at the time. 

In September, Bobby, the husband of Jokowi's daughter Kahiyang Ayu, met with NasDem and Golkar party officials in Medan, but he has not registered with either party.

The meeting — seen by many as symbolic of the role played by State Palace operatives in the power struggle within the nation's second largest party — resulted in the withdrawal of Bambang Soesatyo from the race for the party's top leadership post.

The government’s decision to block the internet during unrest in Papua and West Papua earlier this year violated the people's right to obtain information, the plaintiff has said.

Jokowi has denied making any intervention in the race, saying that it was an internal Golkar matter.

Firebrand cleric and Islam Defenders Front (FPI) leader Rizieq Shihab, who currently resides in Saudi Arabia, has claimed that he has been “exiled” by the Indonesian government and he cannot return home because the latter has barred him from doing so.

The MPR has discussed with party and mass organization leaders the planned amendments. The most recent meeting was with NU on Wednesday, during which the organization suggested reviving the New Order-style political system, in which the president and vice president were elected by the MPR, not directly by the people.

“We do not support their [LGBT] behavior. But their right to get a decent job and living," the Prabowo-led party said.    

“Hah, nonsense," @radenano tweeted. "You’re scared of ormas [mass organizations], but you claim that you want to eradicate radicalism. In your dreams!”

Bambang Soesatyo's supporters have threatened to hold a separate national congress.

Mahfud emphasizes that FPI members have the right to form a union, as well as express their opinions. However, they also have to follow the existing laws.

The council said a plan by Muslim activists to hold a reunion marking the 2016 anti-Ahok rally in Jakarta was “unnecessary”. They said the event should not become a yearly tradition.

 The Golkar Party is set to hold a national congress in Jakarta on Dec. 3 to 6. 

Indonesias 416 regencies and 98 municipalities have one thing in common: They hold direct elections to pick their local leaders. But the government has indicated that that might be about to change.

Former candidates in regional elections say money "unavoidable" in securing votes, but it takes more to win an election.

Airlangga said he would try to win the election with unanimous support but that if Bambang continued with his candidacy and no consensus was reached, there would be a vote.

After kampret and cebong, kadrun and Togog are the new buzzwords in Indonesia’s politically divisive cyberspace. 

The Berkarya Party is one of the parties that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) has approached in an alleged move to forge an opposition coalition.

Jokowi tries to rebuild the career of his close ally. Critic said it's time for Ahok to prove that he's "worthy" of the trust.

Megawati Soekarnoputri and Surya Paloh smile as a contest lurks ahead. 

The portal aims at identifying civil servants who follow ideologies that differ from state ideology Pancasila. 

This is not the first time Jokowi has said he would “bite” those standing in the way of Indonesia’s progress, having made the same threat in a Cabinet meeting.

Rizieq claims Indonesian government is preventing him returning home