Govt tightens up election procedures<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Don't even think of setting up a political party if you lack the
\nwherewithal to stand as a candidate in the 2004 general election.<\/p>\n
Now, the General Elections Commission and the government are
\ntightening the requirements for new political parties to
\nparticipate in the 2004 general election.<\/p>\n
Under the latest draft rules made public by the government, a
\nnew party must have Rp 150 million (over $14,000) in bank
\ndeposits in each province.<\/p>\n
Another proposed requirement that was made public earlier is
\nthat new political parties should have branches in two-thirds of
\nthe country's provinces and in two-thirds of the
\nregencies\/municipalities in the respective provinces where they
\nhave branches.<\/p>\n
\"The deposits are necessary to make people aware that
\nestablishing a political party is a serious business. This will
\nprevent people from setting up parties to make money like they
\nwould set up a company,\" Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno
\nsaid on Friday.<\/p>\n
Indonesia currently has 48 political parties and, with an
\nelectoral threshold of 2 percent, only 11 of these have seats in
\nthe House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Last week, justice and human rights minister Yusril Ihza
\nMahendra reported that 300 new parties had been registered for
\nselection by the elections commission. But this figure was
\nwhittled down to only 16 on Friday.<\/p>\n
Hari said that the Rp 150 million deposit would be forfeited
\nto the state in case the party failed to reach the electoral
\nthreshold.<\/p>\n
The technical details, however, will depend on a
\nconstitutional amendment that is expected to be passed by
\nNovember of next year. For example, if future elections are based
\non the district system, the money will have to be paid by the
\ncandidates themselves. However, if the proportional electoral
\nsystem prevails, it is the party that will have to pay it.<\/p>\n
Hari said that, basically, all citizens were free to set up
\npolitical parties, but if the system were disorganized and there
\nwere \"too many\" parties, this would only serve to confuse the
\npublic.<\/p>\n
\"Even now when only 11 political parties have representation
\nin the House, people are already confused,\" Hari said.<\/p>\n
From 1973 until authoritarian president Soeharto fell in 1999,
\nIndonesia had only three political parties.<\/p>\n
The ministry and the General Elections Commission will begin
\ndiscussing a revision of the political party laws on Nov. 26,
\n2001.<\/p>\n
Commission deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Thursday
\nthat the tightened electoral rules were aimed at making
\npoliticians aware that the setting up of a new party was not
\nsomething to be taken lightly.<\/p>\n
\"If they are not serious, then it is the state and the voters
\nwho will have to suffer the consequences,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-tightens-up-election-procedures-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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