13 parties may be unable to contest 2004 elections
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
At least 13 political parties look destined to miss next year's elections as they have failed to meet the minimum requirement of having a board of executives in 21 provinces.
The factual verification now under way on 40 parties registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU) has discovered that the Bhinneka Indonesia Party (PBI), the Nation Unifying Party (PPB), the Unity Democratic Party (PDB), the Indonesian Democratic Catholic Party (PKDI), the Great Marhaen National Party, the Welfare Mandate Party (PAS), the Indonesian Democratic National Christian Party, the Gotong Royong Party, the Reform Party, the Republic Indonesia Unity Party (PKRI), the 1945 Indonesian Christian Party, the Indonesian Nationalist Unifying Party (PPNI) and PNIBK 1927 are unable to meet the minimum prerequisite.
The KPU completed verification of parties in the provinces of Bali, Lampung, South Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, Yogyakarta, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Gorontalo and East Nusa Tenggara on Friday.
The provisional results showed that three of 23 PBI provincial chapters being verified by the KPU did not qualify, meaning that although the party passed the verification in the remaining provinces, it would be disqualified anyway.
So did the Gotong Royong Party, which is led by former cabinet minister Mien Sugandhi. It did not pass the factual verification in three provinces -- Yogyakarta, Bali and Lampung -- of 21 being screened.
The factual verification is the final test for political parties bidding to contest the 2004 elections, after the earlier administrative screening conducted by the KPU last month.
During the factual verification the KPU determines the number of provincial chapters to be examined based on the documentation a party has submitted to the commission. In the case of PBI, the KPU shortlisted 23 of 27 provincial chapters the party had proposed.
Based on Law No. 12/2003 on general elections, a political party can contest elections if its presence is recognized by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and has a board of executives in at least two-thirds of the country's 32 provinces.
The law also requires the party to have a board of executives in at least two-thirds of the total regencies or municipalities in 21 provinces, have at least 1,000 registered members or one per square mile in a regency or municipality, have a permanent office and submit its name and symbol to the KPU.
PBI executives admitted the party had failed to pass the factual screening in Yogyakarta, but were uncertain about the results of the screening in other provinces.
KPU member Anas Urbaningrum said the commission would strictly uphold the election regulations.
"We shall follow what the law says. However, we will be careful in determining what parties will miss next year's elections. If we find dubious data we shall recheck with related provincial election commissions," he said.
According to the election law, only six parties have assured themselves of places in next year's elections, as they meet the 2 percent electoral threshold in the 1999 election.
The qualifiers are President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the Golkar Party, Vice President Hamzah Haz' United Development Party, the National Awakening Party, the National Mandate Party and the Crescent Star Party.
KPU is slated to announce parties eligible to contest the 2004 elections in stages, between Dec. 2 and Dec. 7.
Indonesia will hold an election of legislative members on April 5, 2004, and the presidential election on July 5, with a run-off on Sept. 20.