Indonesia’s Political Football

A win is all but out of sight for presidential hopefull Aburizal Bakrie, but can he at least score an equalizer?

Myanmar up for the count

The first census in 30 years poses challenges in a deeply divided society. New Mandala co-founder Nicholas Farrelly offers some thoughts from Naypyitaw.

Jokowi the party man

Classic Jokowi campaigning was on show on the weekend, but so was the classic PDI-P variety.

The Lion of PKB: Rusdi Kirana

Greg Fealy looks at how one of Indonesia's Islamic parties embraced an ethnic Chinese, non-Muslim, airline director

Malaysia – a multigear, multiengine economy

The answer to how Malaysia is doing depends on who is being asked, and when.

Thailand’s fairest reform?

Would giving voters a "none of the above" option help to break Thailand's persistent cycle of political conflict?

Durian, teh tarik and memories

Malaysia means good times, some madness and sadness.

The Out-of-Towners

You're not from around here, are you? Non-resident legislative candidates are a national phenomenon.

Party cadres on the campaign trail.

Who stands for Papua?

Legislative candidates - No residency, no experience, no problem!

Sombath Somphone.

What happened to Sombath Somphone?

The mystery of a missing Lao development worker highlights Southeast Asia’s record of enforced disappearances

The holes in donut politics

In a political landscape dominated by money-politics, can a box of treats sweeten up Indonesia's voters?

Paranormal politics

Why is witchcraft part of the political toolkit for Indonesian candidates?

Daulat – an afterword

Clive Kessler's concluding analysis of daulat, monarchy and constitutionalism in modern Malaysia.

Jokowimania: a dispatch from Southeast Sulawesi

Eve Warburton reports that PDI-P hopes Jokowimania will help the party make inroads in far-flung parts of Indonesia.

Hot on the hustings–Indonesia’s ‘caleg cantik’

An increasing number of celebrities standing for parliament is a side-effect of quotas for female representation in politics.

Political participation and pleasurable pain in Malaysia

If pleasurable pain can be said to be a critical political factor, then recent developments in Malaysia is to be welcomed.

Democracy, a ‘pathway to hell’

Democracy might be 'haram', but Islamist vigilantes are using it to their strategic advantage.

Indonesia Votes: what polling says

Who's winning, and why. Taking a look at some early polling.

Indonesia’s Overseas Vote: Time for Secession?

Indonesia's bizarre system for apportioning the votes of expats leads to some unusual campaign strategies.

The decline of the Demokrats

Conspiracy theories are the courier of political change.

Network monarchy’s twilight

Historians of the future may remember the latest round of political unrest in Thailand as the twilight of the ‘network monarchy’.

Let the campaign begin

Ross Tapsell lays out what Indonesia's 2014 elections are all about.

Meet Joko Widodo

No, he’s not the Messiah, but a bit of reformist populism was just what Indonesia needed in 2014

Daulat – a quibble about words?

Daulat and kedaulatan each has its place, and each is to be honoured in its own place, and not to be inserted into that of the other.