'Three parties back my election bid'<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid asserted on Sunday that
\nthree political parties had thrown their weight behind his
\npresidential bid in the 2004 elections.<\/p>\n
He claimed his supporters were mostly young intellectuals and
\nthat he had established networks in at least 22 of the country's
\n32 provinces, including the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam, where
\ngovernment troops are fighting against the decades-long
\nseparatist Free Aceh Movement (GAM). He expressed optimism that
\nthis network would inspire the nation to revive.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish, popularly known as Cak Nur, explained that, \"At
\nleast three political parties representing a rainbow coalition
\nhave pledged to support me in the presidential elections in 2004.<\/p>\n
\"But since verification by KPU is not yet completed, we cannot
\nreveal the names of those political parties now.\"<\/p>\n
The National Elections Commission (KPU) is currently
\nconducting the administrative verification of 40 of 50 political
\nparties, to determine whether or not they meet the criteria to
\ncontest in the 2004 elections, when the country holds the first
\never direct presidential election.<\/p>\n
Ten others have either been verified or are exempt from the
\nprocess, since they passed the two-percent electoral threshold in
\nthe 1999 elections.<\/p>\n
Under the existing election law, only parties that have
\noffices in two-thirds of the country's provinces and in two-
\nthirds of regencies or municipalities in those provinces, will be
\nallowed to contest in the elections.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur pledged to officially declare the names of the three
\nparties in December, when KPU is expected to finish the
\nverification process.<\/p>\n
Only political parties may field presidential candidates in
\n2004.<\/p>\n
In July, Cak Nur announced his withdrawal from the Golkar
\nconvention to select presidential candidates after party chairman
\nAkbar Tandjung decided to participate in the race, despite
\nopposition that the later's participation could spark a conflict
\nof interests and make the convention process unfair.<\/p>\n
Cak Nur, currently rector of Jakarta-based Paramadina Mulya
\nUniversity, said the allegations of rampant money politics
\ninvolving Golkar members were also behind his withdrawal from the
\nGolkar convention.<\/p>\n
Despite a decision to leave the Golkar Party behind as his
\npolitical vehicle, Cak Nur said he would continue with his
\npresidential ambition and claimed that several senior political
\nparty leaders, including Arifin Panigoro from the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle, Alwi Shihab and Saifullah Yusuf of
\nthe National Awakening Party and Bachtiar Chamsyah of the United
\nDevelopment Party, support him.<\/p>\n
\"It is impossible for me to contest in the elections without
\nthe support of political parties,\" Cak Nur said, referring to the
\npresidential election law that rules out the possibility of
\nindependent candidates contesting the elections.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/three-parties-back-my-election-bid-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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