Planned dissolution of KPU protested<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Protest mounted on Friday over the planned
\ndissolution of the General Election Commission (KPU), with 15
\nparties that failed to win seats in House of Representatives in
\nlast year's elections calling it \"a political conspiracy to
\ncreate a new status quo\".<\/p>\n
Edwin Sukowati, chairman of the National Democratic Party
\n(PND), said certain figures in the government and the House had
\nmasterminded the move in their own groups' interests.<\/p>\n
\"Akbar Tandjung and the other House leaders, Ryaas Rasyid and
\nAndi Mallarangeng, have outspokenly made statements on the
\nnecessity to reorganize the KPU in a bid to prevent the
\ncommission's plan to bring to justice the thousands of violations
\nin last year's elections,\" Edwin exploded.<\/p>\n
Akbar chairs the Golkar Party, which finished second in the
\npolls behind the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and is
\nthe House speaker. Ryaas is the state minister of regional
\nautonomy, and Mallarangeng is his assistant.<\/p>\n
Only 19 out of the 48 parties that contested the June 1998
\nelections are represented in the House.<\/p>\n
Edwin said that despite the planned disbanding of the election
\ncommission, the minor parties would press the Supreme Court to
\ndeal with the poll violations that were mostly committed by
\nGolkar supporters.<\/p>\n
Edwin said that instead of making partial amendments to the
\n1999 Election Law, the House and the government should overhaul
\nthe law completely if they wished to lay a platform for a fair
\nand free general election in 2004.<\/p>\n
\"We do not understand why the House wants to revise only the
\nlaw's chapter on the election commission, while the law, which is
\na legacy of the former New Order government, contains numerous
\nsubstantial weaknesses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
R.O. Tambunan, president of the People's Choice Party (Pilar),
\nsaid minor parties had no objection to the government's plan to
\nreorganize the KPU, but it should be followed by a total
\namendment of the law.<\/p>\n
\"Certain figures in the House and the government should not
\ndeceive the people and abuse democracy in their bid to create a
\nnew status quo,\" he said. He added that small parties had strong
\nevidence of certain major parties' involvement in money politics
\nin the last elections.<\/p>\n
Ridwan Saidi, chairman of the New Masyumi Party, called on the
\ngovernment and the House to drop the electoral threshold ruling,
\nwhich bars parties failing to obtain at least two percent of the
\nvotes in a general election from contesting the following one,
\nfrom the law because it was against the 1945 Constitution that
\nguarantees the freedom of association.<\/p>\n
\"Despite being minority, we have a right to contest the next
\nelection,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Also attending the media briefing were the chairmen of the
\nIndonesian Workers Party (PPI), the All Indonesian Workers Party
\n(SPSI) and the National Christian Party (Krisna). (rms)<\/p>",
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