HMI irked by Salahuddin, Siswono absence JAKARTA: Executives of the Muslim Student Association (HMI) issued a "motion of no confidence" in vice presidential candidates Salahuddin Wahid and Siswono Yudohusodo on Saturday.

Rival flags fly in support at Amien-Siswono rally Bambang Nurbianto and A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Presidential candidate Amien Rais and his running mate not only managed to attract a huge crowd during their outdoor rally here on Saturday, but perhaps garnered support from constituents of their contenders.

Megawati given honorary title PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: The South Sumatra Traditional Council awarded President Megawati Soekarnoputri the honorary title of Nyi Mas Ratu Junjung on Saturday, only two weeks ahead of the July 5 presidential election. The title is traditionally given on people considered by the South Sumatran public as "noble" (mulia).

Truck owners, drivers support Wiranto CIREBON, West Java: A group of truck drivers and owners in Cirebon pledged their support on Saturday for the candidacy of Gen. (ret) Wiranto in the upcoming presidential election. Muh. Nurdani Ali, the chairman of the Indonesian Truck Owners and Drivers Association, said that they supported Wiranto as he would be able to provide security for everybody, including the owners and the crew of trucks.

YCAB honors antidrug journalism INDONESIA: Yayasan Cinta Anak Bangsa (YCAB), together with the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), presented awards on Saturday to nine journalists for their articles on juveniles and narcotics, in conjunction with the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26.

Legacy of Japanese 'Merdeka' veterans lives on Chisato Hara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tucked away off Jl. Tebet Raya in South Jakarta is a rather nondescript office in a ruko shop-house block -- nondescript, perhaps, except for the plain white sign that reads Yayasan Warga Persahabatan and following, in Japanese characters, Fukushi Tomo no Kai. Loosely translated, it means the mutual welfare fellowship foundation.

Joining the crowd in the election song and dance With only a week left until the country goes to the polls on July 5 -- the country's first ever direct presidential election -- some of us have already made our minds up. Body piercing, face painting and some unique accessories are some of the ways that supporters are showing their allegiance to their picks among the five presidential candidates.

Poet Sitok not afraid to say it like it is Omar Prihandono, Contributor, Jakarta What are the chances you would find yourself sitting on the back of a motorbike, behind one of the country's most celebrated poets, who had offered to drive you to buy a pack of cigarettes because you told him you didn't like his brand and also could not steer a motorbike? Well, that's exactly what happened on a sunny Sunday morning recently.

Olympic qualifiers exit Jakarta Open Eva C. Komandjaja, Jakarta Daniel Shirley and Sara Runesten-Petersen, who will represent New Zealand in the badminton competition at the Olympic Games, lost to Unang and Angeline of Indonesia in the quarterfinal mixed doubles match at the Jakarta Open here on Saturday. The Kiwi pair won the first game at 15-12 but seemingly lost their focus in the rest of the game with error-prone play on the net. They were beaten 14-17, 7-15 in the remaining two games.

President pens Sriwijaya stadium President Megawati Soekarnoputri inaugurated the Sriwijaya Stadium in Palembang, South Sumatra, on Saturday. The stadium will be used as the venue for the opening ceremony of the 16th National Games (PON), which will run from Sept. 2 to Sept. 16, with the participants expected to come from all of the country's 31 provinces.

Legacy of Japanese 'Merdeka' veterans lives on Chisato Hara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Tucked away off Jl. Tebet Raya in South Jakarta is a rather nondescript office in a ruko shop-house block -- nondescript, perhaps, except for the plain white sign that reads Yayasan Warga Persahabatan and following, in Japanese characters, Fukushi Tomo no Kai. Loosely translated, it means the mutual welfare fellowship foundation.

Muslim group supports all presidential candidates PEKALONGAN, Central Java: It appears to be the flavor of the moment for social, political and even religious groupings to pledge their support to one or other of the presidential candidate, but not for religious grouping Jamiyah Al Tareqoh Al Mutabarokah an Nadhliyah.

Election watchdog says KPU lying Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Contradicting an earlier claim by the General Elections Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on Saturday that it had found that more than 1.2 million ballot papers had not reached some regencies in 24 provinces as of Friday, only 10 days before the election. "We have sent a letter to the KPU to warn them about the late delivery problem.

Ju Ming: Lifelike sculptures descend upon Singapore Carla Bianpoen, Contributor, Singapore Those entering Singapore after Wednesday will be struck by a set of parachutes coming down at Changi Airport. Don't be misguided, however, as these are the Living World series of sculptures made by Ju Ming.

Fatimah Korrie Layun Rampan Had it not been due to the insistence of Totot Walahualam, a fellow journalist from Timbul Tenggelam (rise and sink) -- a local tabloid appearing on and off, as its name suggested -- I would have had no aversion today to Jantur Mapan waterfall. "But the scene of people gambling and girls openly soliciting amid a sacred belian1 ritual will be a juicy report for Jakarta readers," said the reporter, known for his good sense of humor.

ARF set to back more N. Korean nuke talks Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) foreign ministers will urge all the participants in the six-nation talks to continue their dialog process to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis despite the fact that their third round parley in the Chinese capital ended on Saturday without any breakthrough.

TV Program: Sunday, June 27, 2004 .TB.30" .90" TVRI 6:00 a.m. Morning News 7:00 Children Show: Pentas Ceria 9:00 Music: Delta 10:00 Sports: Otoscreen 11:00 TV Drama 12:30 p.m. English for Fun 1:00 News: Berita Siang 2:00 Music 3:00 English News Service 4:30 Music 5:00 Cartoon: Robocon 6:30 Talk Show: Obrolan Wong Cilik 7:00 News: Berita Nasional 8:00 Talk Show 9:00 News: Dunia Dalam Berita 9:30 Music: Dansa Yo Dansa TPI 6:00 a.m.

Behind the smokescreen of politics after Soeharto Marcus Mietzner, Contributor, Jakarta Reorganizing Power in Indonesia: The Politics of Oligarchy in an Age of Markets Richard Robison and Vedi R. Hadiz, RoutledgeCurzon, 2004 304 pp US$22.99 Since Soeharto's downfall in 1998, several academic authors have published accounts of the events that led to the disintegration of the New Order regime and the evolution of the post- authoritarian polity.

Students find learning made fun at international schools Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta Besides the predominant Caucasian, Indian and non-Indonesian Asian students, there are also a number of Indonesian students to be found in the classrooms of the British International School (BIS) in Bintaro, Tangerang. "I sent Samantha here as I want her to enjoy school," said Connie Bakrie on Saturday.

Plantation chief feels the heat over forest fires Puji Santoso, The Jakarta Post, Pekanbaru A director of a plantation company in Minas district, Riau, has been declared a suspect for ordering the clearing of hundreds of hectares of land by setting fires, which has contributed to the haze now shrouding parts of Sumatra island and neighboring countries. The heads of Minas and Kandis districts, where the plantation is located, are also being questioned in connection with the case. Adj. Comr.

Where to go in Jakarta: Sunday, June 27, 2004 Exhibitions * Japanese Calligraphy, Shoudou, Pusat Kebudayaan Jepang - The Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62 South Jakarta (Tel. 5201266), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., until June 30. * Carpets: Magnificent Carpets of the Ancient Silk Road, 140 rare and old oriental carpets - from Turkey, Persia, Russia, at World Trade Center lobby, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 79, Central Jakarta, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., until July 3. * Painting, Painting