Local body elections are imminent, taking place in April this year, so in addition to all the branding there are hoardings and billboards everywhere, with huge blown-up portraits of the candidates staring down at the roads. Many properties in both cities and villages are displaying flags with the colours of the main parties out by the roadside, giving the place a rather festive atmosphere.I noticed that there seemed to be a large proportion of women standing for election. Later I found that by law, 30 percent of candidates must be female, a progressive move for a country that is Muslim in majority.
Indonesia's presidential elections are also taking place in July this year. It will be just the second election in which all Indonesians have a say - prior to 2004, elections were determined by an assembly of representatives.
It's expected that current president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will retain his seat, although he will face stiff competition from his predecessor, female opposition leader Megawati Sukarnoputri.
"We have a good president now," said our adventure guide Jacks. Yudhoyono, an ex-army man, is often referred to as 'the thinking general' - yet during his rule he has worked to remove the military's influence from politics.Jacks is pleased with the way the country's moving, although he points out it's still "in recovery" - after the long years of rule under the notorious Suharto (President from 1967-1998), considered by many to be the most corrupt leader ever.
In conversation Jacks tends to refer to Yudhoyono as "my president", betraying an unconscious sense of pride and nationalism.
During his five-year term Yudhoyono has established economic initiatives, such as a free trade agreement with Japan, as well as improving access to education through a scheme where schools get funding so they can lower, or even abolish, fees.Jacks showed us a primary school in a rural village -between the ages of 7 and 12 children attend school six days a week, for five hours a day. Primary and middle school education is compulsory in Indonesia, but high school (from 15 onwards) is optional.
Outside school hours, pupils can be seen in their uniforms roaming the streets around Bali's rural villages (and pulling faces at me as I took their pictures). It's funny to think that in just a few short years they'll be voters themselves.Amy Williams travelled to Bali courtesy of Club Med and Pacific Blue.
Check out the pictures from my trip to Bali on Flickr or find out more about Bali.
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