No need for new political laws, experts say<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Most political experts believe Indonesia no
\nlonger needs laws to govern political parties as the new
\nelectoral law, currently being drafted, should be sufficient.<\/p>\n
Indria Samego of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and Afan
\nGaffar of Gadjah Mada University asserted that despite the
\nemergence of new political parties, there was no need for the
\ngovernment and the House of Representatives to prepare a new law
\non political parties.<\/p>\n
Instead, a comprehensive electoral law would encompass issues
\nregarding the establishment of political parties, the two experts
\npointed out in a hearing with House Commission II for domestic
\npolitical affairs which was attended by political scientist
\nNazaruddin Syamsuddin from the University of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Commission chairman Budi Harsono said the hearing was held as
\npart of the commission's preparations to deliberate the draft
\nlaws on general elections, political parties and the role and
\nfunction of the House currently being prepared by a team
\nappointed by President B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
\"The existing law on political parties is not more than a set
\nof prohibitions, which in the end only makes the (existing)
\npolitical parties nothing more than a means to legitimize
\n(claims) that the country is democratic,\" Indria said, as quoted
\nby Antara.<\/p>\n
\"The rest of the ruling in the law has actually been covered
\nin the parties' statutes. Therefore, why don't we just let the
\nparties establish their own stipulations rather than (having) a
\nlaw,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The existing political laws recognize only two political
\nparties -- the United Development Party and the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party -- and Golkar, which does not call itself a
\npolitical party but contests elections.<\/p>\n
Habibie's government has pledged to open the political
\ncorridors and allow people to build their own political parties.
\nThe government has appointed a team, headed by political expert
\nRyaas Rasyid, to prepare new laws to replace the existing ones.<\/p>\n
Habibie said the new laws should be ready by August when they
\nwill be submitted to the House for deliberation.<\/p>\n
Several groups have already taken advantage of the promise and
\nestablished parties. These include the Indonesian Workers Party
\n(PPI) and Indonesian-Chinese for Reform Party (Parti).<\/p>\n
On Monday a group of environmentalists announced plans to
\nestablish the country's first green party, the United Republic
\nParty. The announcement was made during a ceremony at the summit
\nof the 3,019 meter Mt. Pangrango 65 kilometers south of here on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
\"If the government wants to improve the political laws, it'd
\nbe better if it provides a definition of what a political party
\nis,\" Indria said.<\/p>\n
Afan concurred and said that parties are part of the electoral
\nsystem. The electoral law should therefore consist of many
\nchapters in order to prevent \"unfair interpretations.\"<\/p>\n
\"The (electoral) law will have around 200 chapters,\" said
\nAfan, who is included in Ryaas' team.<\/p>\n
The law will also abolish the election registration committees
\nin order to prevent cheating.<\/p>\n
Amien<\/p>\n
In Yogyakarta, opposition figure Amien Rais said he did not
\nhave any plans to jump onto the bandwagon and establish his own
\npolitical party.<\/p>\n
\"Let other people articulate their interests through parties
\nthat they establish,\" he said in a discussion at Gadjah Mada
\nUniversity Monday evening.<\/p>\n
He said there was no reason for concern over the emergence of
\nmany political parties of late, because a natural selection
\nprocess would occur and parties which did not have the support of
\nmany people would dissolve automatically.<\/p>\n
\"The public will decide whether certain parties would continue
\nto exist,\" he said. (23\/44\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-need-for-new-political-laws-experts-say-1447893297",
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