This page is designed to provide resources relating to Indonesia which might support those working for change in Indonesia as well as encourage interest in and support research on Indonesia. As of early May, however, widespread violence continues in many parts of Indonesia, raising the question of whether an 'election' held under such circumstances can be accepted. These are nominally ones which passed a screening process designed to filter out 'paper' parties or ones with minimal national scope. But CSIS executive director Hadi Soesastro suggested recently that many of them were 'selected' to create a balance between various political ideologies. Many parties also have been established obviously to confuse voters by choosing names and symbols that resemble the chief opposition parites.
Voters vote by punching a hole through their chosen party logo.
Gus Dur's National Awakening Party, which has its basis in the Nahdlatul Ulama, will contend with the Nahdlatul Ummat Party and the Umat Awakening Party, both of which also use similar logos. A number of sites focus on the elections. What appears to be the quasi-official Pemilu 1999 site contains basic information on the parties, the election schedule, election regulations, and election monitoring. See below for more party information and links. One central page for George Aditdjondro's reports on the wealth of the Soehartos is lined with dripping blood.