Old forces contest election<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Mochammad N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post,
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Sunday 24
\npolitical parties eligible to contest the 2004 polls, with
\nanalysts expressing concern of the possible revival of the New
\nOrder.<\/p>\n
Daniel Sparringa of the Surabaya-based Airlangga University
\nwarned that New Order pedigrees would take over the lead in the
\nfight for reform as parties that claimed to promote the spirit of
\ndemocracy wasted the momentum.<\/p>\n
\"Issues on democratization, decentralization and human rights,
\nwere popular then, but the public immediately felt disappointed
\nwith the loss of security and welfare as the cost they had to pay
\nfor reform.<\/p>\n
\"I guess political parties affiliated to New Order elements
\nwill offer issues on national unity, security and welfare, while
\npromising democratization and other reform goals,\" Daniel told
\nThe Jakarta Post<\/p>\n
He said the issues could easily win support from people who
\nwere fed up with the so-called reform parties which \"have done
\nnothing different from their predecessor.\"<\/p>\n
Riswanda Imawan from the Yogyakarta-based Gajah Mada
\nUniversity said that the comeback of New Order cronies could be
\nseen immediately following KPU's announcement of the parties that
\nqualified for the upcoming elections.<\/p>\n
\"Almost 60 percent of the parties are believed to be cronies
\nof the New Order regime,\" he said, without mentioning which
\nparties he was referring to.<\/p>\n
Among the parties qualifying for next year's elections several
\nare led by former government officials or organizations
\nassociated with former president Soeharto's New Order regime.<\/p>\n
The return of New Order supporters in politics has been
\nanticipated with the success of former government officials under
\nSoeharto in qualifying for the election of the Regional
\nRepresentatives Council (DPD).<\/p>\n
Indonesia is scheduled to hold a legislative election on April
\n5 next year and its first-ever direct presidential election three
\nmonths later.<\/p>\n
The 1999 general election, the first since the fall of the New
\nOrder regime in May 1998, had raised hopes for democracy, the
\nrule of law and civil society. But the passing time revealed the
\nstruggle for power among parties claiming to be fighting for
\nsweeping reforms.<\/p>\n
While corruption remains unabated, if not worse than before,
\nthe parties that won House of Representatives' seats and work
\ntogether in President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Cabinet have taken
\nshort-term political interests into account in every policy
\nmaking process.<\/p>\n
Riswandha said the so-called reform parties had taken the New
\nOrder lightly.<\/p>\n
\"It is a great strategy of the old regime. Its supporters have
\nconsolidating themselves within the years when we thought they
\nhad collapsed. It is at a time when political parties that claim
\nto be supporters of reform are fragmented, the consolidated-
\nelements of the New Order are striking back,\" Riswanda told the
\nPost.<\/p>\n
He predicted that Golkar, the political vehicle of former
\npresident Soeharto's New Order, would lead a move to build an
\nalliance with the newly established parties linked to the old
\nregime to win next year's elections.<\/p>\n
\"Nowadays, political parties, especially the country's biggest
\nparties, are facing difficulties in building a coalition among
\nthemselves. Indeed, no parties, even the Indonesian Democratic
\nParty of Struggle or Golkar, will win the majority votes during
\nthe elections,\" he said.<\/p>",
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