Govt forming team a select parties<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is setting up a team of 11 people
\nto select political parties eligible to contest the June 7
\ngeneral election.<\/p>\n
Minister of Home Affairs Syarwan Hamid said the team would be
\nindependent and its members, which were to be announced in the
\nnear future, would carry out the tasks of a planned national
\nelections committee, as stipulated in the newly endorsed draft
\nlaw on the general election process.<\/p>\n
"The team will be established because the national election
\ncommittee has yet to be set up. It (the committee) cannot be
\nestablished now because it should be made up of representatives
\nof political parties eligible to contest the elections," he said
\nhere on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Syarwan declined to identify the team's members. But he said
\ntheir identities had been exposed prematurely by a number of
\nnewspapers.<\/p>\n
The Merdeka daily reported recently the team comprised: Muslim
\nscholar Nurcholish Madjid, noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution,
\npolitical scientists Andi M. Mallarangeng, Afan Gaffar, Eep
\nSaefullah and Miriam Budiardjo, former Supreme Court justice Adi
\nAndojo, rights activist Mulyana W. Kusumah, student activists
\nRama Pratama and Anas Urbaningrum, and Ryaas Rasyid, the
\ndirector-general of public administration and regional autonomy
\nat the Ministry of Home Affairs.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish, who has reportedly been appointed leader of the
\nteam, said members were to hold a meeting next Wednesday to
\ndiscuss the selection process for political parties.<\/p>\n
He said the existing political parties -- currently more than
\n200 as new parties have kept sprouting following Soeharto's
\nresignation from presidency last May -- were all legal at this
\ntime, but there was no guarantee they would all be eligible to
\ncontest the elections.<\/p>\n
He said his team would make a field tour to provinces and
\nregencies to check on the networks of existing parties.<\/p>\n
"For example, we will check party chapters in provinces and
\nregencies as stipulated by the bill on the general election," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The new general election law requires political parties to
\nhave chapters in at least nine provinces, and branches in 50
\npercent of regencies to be eligible to contest the general
\nelection.<\/p>\n
New parties hailed the establishment of the independent team
\nwhich they said reflected political realities.<\/p>\n
Ridwan Saidi, chairman of the New Masyumi Party, said the
\nindependent team's presence was the best way to ensure a smooth
\ntransition process from the government-run General Election
\nInstitute (LPU) to the National Election Committee (KPU).<\/p>\n
"Of the most importance is that the team should develop good
\ncommunication with all political parties," he said.<\/p>\n
Muchtar Pakpahan, chairman of the National Labor Party,
\nexpressed optimism the team would be able to work independently
\nbecause all its members were credible and acceptable to political
\nparties.<\/p>\n
"The team members, especially Nurcholish, Buyung, and many
\nothers, have been popularly known and they will be able to carry
\nout their mission successfully," he said. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-forming-team-a-select-parties-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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