50 parties make it to final KPU list

50 parties make it to final KPU list

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

All 50 eligible political parties beat the midnight deadline for
registration with the General Elections Commissions (KPU) on
Thursday, paving the way for their participation in the 2004
general elections.

The last party to register with the KPU was the Indonesian
National Unification Party (PPNI), whose representatives arrived
at the commission's offices at around 11:30 p.m.

All the parties that passed the screening by the Ministry of
Justice and Human Rights have to register with the KPU in order
to undergo further vetting so that they can contest the 2004
elections.

Only parties that have offices in two-thirds of the country's
32 provinces and two-thirds of the regencies/municipalities in
those provinces will be allowed to contest the 2004 legislative
elections, and the country's first ever direct presidential
election.

The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights had verified and
declared legitimate 50 of the over 100 political parties
registered with the ministry.

A party is required to have offices in 50 percent of the
country's provinces and in 50 percent of the
regencies/municipalities in those provinces in order to be
declared a legitimate political party.

Of the 50 legitimate parties, 32 were recognized as political
entities only last Saturday, forcing the parties to rush to
register with the KPU.

According to prevailing electoral law, a party must register
with the KPU for vetting before it can contest the 2004
elections.

The KPU will announce the final decision on the parties
eligible to contest next year's election on Dec. 2.

So far, six political parties have secured their places in
next year's elections, namely, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the United
Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the
National Mandate Party (PKB), and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

These parties will not be screened as they passed the two-
percent threshold in the 1999 elections, the first after the
downfall of former dictator Soeharto.

Indonesia is scheduled to hold legislative elections on April
5, 2004, and a two-stage direct presidential election on July 5
and Sept. 20, 2004, respectively.

The KPU has allocated Rp 5 billion (US$595,000) to verify both
political parties and candidates for the Regional Representatives
Council (PDP) across the country.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said that in its Wednesday
plenary meeting, the KPU had determined that a province with
between one and 10 regencies/municipalities would get Rp 100
million for the verification of parties and regional
representative candidates.

A province with 11 to 20 regencies/municipalities would get Rp
200 million, a province with 21 to 30 regencies/municipalities Rp
300 million, and a province with 31 to 40
regencies/municipalities Rp 400 million.

There are 32 provinces, 416 regencies/municipalities, 5,121
subdistricts and 70,828 villages in Indonesia, according to the
population and voter census conducted by the Central Statistics
Agency.