JP\/4\/Todung<\/p>\n
The establishment of local parties in Aceh is one of the most
\ncontentious issues the government will have to settle with the
\nHouse or Representatives before a peace deal with Free Aceh
\nMovement rebels can be signed on Aug. 15. The Jakarta Post's
\nTiarma Siboro discussed the matter with Todung Mulya Lubis, a
\nnoted lawyer and co-founder of the Aceh Kita Foundation.<\/p>\n
Question: The Helsinki meeting between delegations of the
\nIndonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) has
\nbrought up the issue of local political parties for the Acehnese.
\nHow do you see this?<\/p>\n
Answer: The issue on local political parties for Acehnese has
\npros and cons here. But no matter how the Indonesian authorities
\nmay respond the issue, we can say that both parties have reached
\nagreement on about 99 percent of all points that lead to a
\npeaceful solution for Aceh. What the government has to do now is
\nto get political support from legislators to amend all political
\nlegislation, including laws on political parties and general
\nelections, to enable local parties to participate in the next
\nelections.<\/p>\n
As we know, the law on political parties firmly stipulates
\nthat only parties that have representatives in no less than 50
\npercent of the total 33 provinces are able to participate in
\nelections.<\/p>\n
Why do some legislators oppose allowing GAM to form a local
\npolitical party?<\/p>\n
We have gone this far to settle the conflict in Aceh. We have
\nagreed to provide greater revenue for the resource-rich province
\nand impose Islamic sharia there. It will be ironic if these
\npeaceful efforts be blocked just because we disagree with the
\npresence of local political parties for the Acehnese. And I think
\nwe must let the Acehnese share their political rights, and the
\nupcoming direct regional elections are considered a final test as
\nto whether the local political parties will be able to gain
\nsignificant votes there. If they failed, they will lose political
\nlegitimacy.<\/p>\n
With the heightened tensions in the House of Representatives
\ntowards the Helsinki talks, what are the prospects of the
\nagreement being signed on Aug. 15?<\/p>\n
These days are critical days because the government must
\nconceive a national agreement with legislators and politicians.
\nIn a bid to win political consensus, the government must campaign
\nto the House and the political parties about the political points
\nthat we reached in the Helsinki talks. I don't think the Helsinki
\ntalks have violated our Constitution, as Article 28 provides us
\nwith freedom of union, freedom of expression and freedom of
\nspeech.<\/p>\n
Several politicians and military figures are worried about
\ndemands from other provinces to also establish local parties.
\nWhat is your comment on this?<\/p>\n
Of course it's a logical question as to whether the policy on
\nlocal political parties should only be enjoyed by the Acehnese.
\nWe have to encourage other Indonesians to ask for similar rights.
\nWe have to encourage Indonesians to support independent
\ncandidates who will sit in the legislature to voice our
\naspirations.<\/p>\n
Currently, we can say that most Indonesian people do not feel
\nthey are being represented by legislators, and I think
\nindependent candidates will be key players to answer this
\nrepresentation issue, and the only way that a democratic country
\ncan accommodate independent candidates is by allowing its people
\nto establish local political parties.<\/p>\n
How much do we really need these local political parties?<\/p>\n
In the 1999 general election, during which 48 national-scope
\npolitical parties joined the race, or even in last year's
\nelections, which were our first-ever direct elections, these have
\nshowed that none of these political parties met the criteria of
\nso-called national-scope parties, because none of them won
\nsignificant votes in all of Indonesia's 33 provinces, which
\nundermines their claims to be national-scope parties.<\/p>\n
And with data showing that no less than 20 percent of
\nregistered voters nationwide not exercising their political
\nrights in the last year's direct elections, it is reasonable for
\nthis country to support the establishment of local political
\nparties.<\/p>\n
Some have argued that local political parties will lead the
\ncountry into federalism, which goes against the concept of the
\nUnitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI)?<\/p>\n
In 1955 our country held its first-ever elections with the
\nparticipation of local political parties. Did it affect the NKRI-
\nconcept? Did it affect the democratic concept? A deadlock
\nhappened only after we began to set up the legislative body, or
\nso-called Badan Konstituante.<\/p>\n
Besides, we are now in a process of transformation from
\ncentralization to decentralization. We have supported special
\nautonomy for Aceh and Papua. We have also imposed regional
\nautonomy nationwide.<\/p>",
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