Law restricts number of political parties<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto and Adianto P. Simamora, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Only a few of the over 200 new political parties will contest
\nthe 2004 general election as many of them will likely fail to
\nmeet the strict requirements imposed by the new Law on Political
\nParties.<\/p>\n
Existing parties have nine months to adjust themselves to Law
\nNo. 31\/2002, otherwise, they will not be recognized as a
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
The law requires a party to have offices in at least 50
\npercent of the country's provinces, 50 percent of the regencies
\nand mayoralties in each province where its offices are located
\nand 25 percent of the districts of those regencies and
\nmayoralties.<\/p>\n
Therefore, according to one General Elections Commission (KPU)
\nmember, only a few of the over 200 new political parties
\nregistered at the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights will pass
\nthe screening.<\/p>\n
Mulyana W. Kusumah, a KPU member, said that only two or three
\ndozen parties would be eligible to contest the 2004 election,
\nincluding the six firmly established political parties.<\/p>\n
Andi A. Mallarangeng, an executive of the newly established
\nDemocratic and National Unity Party (PPDK), agreed and said that
\nmany new parties would find it difficult to meet the
\nrequirements.<\/p>\n
\"The new law is not democratic as it tries to prevent the
\nemergence of new parties by imposing strict requirements that are
\nhard to meet,\" Andi told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
He said his party was working hard to meet the requirements so
\nthat by April it would have established offices in enough
\nprovinces, regencies and districts as stipulated by the law.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Natalia Scholastika, the secretary-general of the
\nPeople's Democratic Party (PRD), said that the new law was a
\nresult of backroom deals by big political parties to restrict
\npeople's aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"This will protect the interests of the New Order and
\nneoliberalism,\" Natalia said, referring to the administration
\nunder former president Soeharto.<\/p>\n
Andi, who is a former KPU member, said the establishment of
\npolitical parties should not be confined to strict requirements.
\nNevertheless, he agreed that strict requirements should be
\nimposed for political parties to contest the general election.<\/p>\n
Forty-eight political parties took part in the 1999 general
\nelection, but only six parties managed to collect the two percent
\nthreshold of voters, making themselves eligible to contest the
\n2004 election.<\/p>\n
The six parties are, from the largest to the smallest, the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nGolkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the
\nCrescent Star Party (PBB).<\/p>\n
Other parties, including PRD, will have to merge with others
\nor rename themselves to qualify for the next elections.<\/p>\n
PRD's Natalia, however, said that her party would not be
\ndeterred by the new law as it would not take part in any
\nelections run by the current administration.<\/p>\n
She said PRD would take part in the elections if they were
\norganized by a presidium appointed by the people to replace the
\nleadership of President Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Highlights of Law No. 31\/2002 on political parties<\/p>\n
1. Establishment of a political party<\/p>\n
a. A party should be established by at least 50 Indonesians over
\nthe age of 21.<\/p>\n
b. A party should be registered at the Ministry of Justice and
\nHuman Rights.<\/p>\n
c. A party should have offices in at least 50 percent of the
\ncountry's total provinces; 50 percent of the
\nmayoralties\/regencies in each province where it has offices, and
\n25 percent of the districts in each mayoralty\/regency where it
\nhas an office.<\/p>\n
2. Party's principles<\/p>\n
A political party has to adopt the 1945 Constitution and
\nPancasila as its constitutional and ideal principles.<\/p>\n
3. Rights<\/p>\n
a. A political party has the right to propose a change of
\nmembership in a legislative body.<\/p>\n
b. A political party has the right to propose a dismissal of
\nrepresentatives in a legislative body.<\/p>\n
c. A political party has the right to nominate presidential and
\nvice presidential candidates.<\/p>\n
4. Obligations<\/p>\n
a. A party has to keep records of its donors, and the amount of
\ntheir contributions.<\/p>\n
b. A party has to report its annual financial position to the
\nGeneral Election Commission (KPU).<\/p>\n
c. A party has to open a special account for financing campaigns
\nand supply information on those accounts to the KPU no more than
\nsix months after the elections.<\/p>\n
5. Finances<\/p>\n
a. Financial sources are restricted to membership contributions,
\nother legal contributions and the state budget.<\/p>\n
b. The maximum annual contribution from a member or nonmember is
\nRp 200 million.<\/p>\n
c. The maximum annual contribution from an organization is Rp 800
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
6. Prohibitions<\/p>\n
a. Receiving contributions from state-owned companies.<\/p>\n
b. Establishing business entities.<\/p>\n
c. Adopting Communism, Marxism or Leninism as the party's
\nprinciples.<\/p>\n
7. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, the KPU and the
\nMinistry of Home Affairs will supervise the parties.<\/p>\n
8. Sanctions could come in the form of warnings, cancellation of
\nfunds from the state budget, suspensions, refusal to take part in
\nthe general election, criminal charges or fines.<\/p>\n
9. Transitional provisions<\/p>\n
Political parties that were established on the basis of Law No.
\n2\/1999 and officiated by the Minister of Justice and Human Rights
\nare obliged to adjust themselves to the new law within nine
\nmonths.<\/p>",
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