Current Issues

The Death of a New Student
The New Students Orientation programs have caused the death of many new students; however, older students seemed to love the program so much that they keep on organizing it eventhough without permission from the campus' authority. And this time the tragedy hapened to Dwi Yanto (22), a student of the Civil Engineering Faculty of the prestigious Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), who died last Sunday night during the activity in Lembang, Bandung, West Java. Detik quoted two of ITB's Deputy Rector as saying that the activity is illegal because the campus authority has never gave permit for it. Due to which fact, ITB's Discipline Committee shall conduct an investigation and shall take action against those responsible for the death.

The Death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament
In connection with the death of the Speaker of North Sumatera Parliament (DPR) Abdul Aziz, in Medan, North Sumatera last Tuesday, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Chief of National Police Bambang Danuri has dismissed the North Sumatera Police Chief and the Medan Police Chief for “negligence.”
While Tempo reported that the Police have named 31 persons as suspects, including four members of Parliament, and 70 persons as witnesses.

The Existence of Anti Corruption Court
On December 2006, the Constitutional Council has decided that the existence of the Anti Corruption Court (Tipikor) would cease by December 2009. In this regards, The Jakarta Globe reported that the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) has urged President SBY to rush the preparation of the bill of the Anti Corruption Court Law that would set a new Anti Corruption Court to replace the current one.
According to ICW, major political parties in the Parliament (DPR), including SBY’s Democratic Party, are seemingly reluctant to pursue such bill of law, because they are now busy preparing for the Parliamentary election on April 9.

The Presidential & Vice Presidential Candidates
During the opening of his Democratic Party national meeting, President SBY declined to name the Vice President who will run with him in the Presidential election on 8 July. According to The Jakarta Post, the President said that the name of candidate will only be announced after the result of Parliamentary election on April 9 has been known. This statement has leads to speculation that he would leave the option open to others than the incumbent Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
The report also mentioned that Jusuf Kalla's Golkar Party will not name a Presidential candidate during its national meeting this week.