This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7945535.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Indonesia poll campaigning starts | Indonesia poll campaigning starts |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Indonesia has marked the formal start of its election season with a joint rally of political parties in the capital Jakarta. | Indonesia has marked the formal start of its election season with a joint rally of political parties in the capital Jakarta. |
| Thirty-eight national parties are contesting parliamentary elections on 9 April, along with six local parties in the newly-autonomous province of Aceh. | Thirty-eight national parties are contesting parliamentary elections on 9 April, along with six local parties in the newly-autonomous province of Aceh. |
| Presidential elections are due to follow in July. | Presidential elections are due to follow in July. |
| About 171 million Indonesians, across more than 17,000 islands, are eligible to vote in the ballots. | |
| Political weight | Political weight |
| One by one, party representatives climbed the steps to the podium in Jakarta's cavernous conference arena, to pound out their election slogans to hundreds of flag-waving supporters. | One by one, party representatives climbed the steps to the podium in Jakarta's cavernous conference arena, to pound out their election slogans to hundreds of flag-waving supporters. |
| Monday's meeting marks the start of the formal campaign period, though the country has been papered with political flags and posters for months. | Monday's meeting marks the start of the formal campaign period, though the country has been papered with political flags and posters for months. |
| Many candidates are linking themselves to various celebrities - from footballer David Beckham to the US President, Barack Obama. | Many candidates are linking themselves to various celebrities - from footballer David Beckham to the US President, Barack Obama. |
| But the parliamentary polls also carry real political weight. | But the parliamentary polls also carry real political weight. |
| Firstly, they will decide which parties get to put forward presidential candidates - a party needs to win 20% of the seats in parliament to do that. | Firstly, they will decide which parties get to put forward presidential candidates - a party needs to win 20% of the seats in parliament to do that. |
| And secondly, they will be a useful litmus test of whether politics here is becoming more Islamic. | And secondly, they will be a useful litmus test of whether politics here is becoming more Islamic. |
| Secular parties tend to do best in elections here, despite a growing Muslim identity among many Indonesians. | Secular parties tend to do best in elections here, despite a growing Muslim identity among many Indonesians. |
| But even secular parties have been under pressure from hardline Muslim groups, and support for at least one Islamic party seems to be growing. | But even secular parties have been under pressure from hardline Muslim groups, and support for at least one Islamic party seems to be growing. |