Big parties qualify for 2004 polls
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Six of the largest political parties qualified for the general election scheduled for 2004 following the House of Representatives approval of electoral threshold on Friday.
The decision dealt a major blow to over 200 minor and newly born parties as they will have to set up coalitions or join parties which have secured the approval to contest in the election.
The ruling was agreed upon on Friday during a hearing between home minister Hari Sabarno and the House of Representatives special committee deliberating the election bill.
Mutammimul 'Ula from the Justice Party (PK) expressed disagreement with the ruling, but the bigger factions insisted on approving Article 142 on electoral threshold.
The article stipulates that political parties which won at least 2 percent of the House seats following the 1999 election qualify for the next elections.
There were 500 House seats up for grabs in 1999, meaning only those who won at least 10 seats survive the cut. They are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party (PAN), and Crescent Star Party (PBB), which won 153, 120, 58, 51, 34, and 13 seats respectively.
Mutammimul, whose party garnered only seven seats, said the ruling was unfair. But the Muslim-based party, which joins PAN in the Reform faction, could not change the agreement.
The election bill, expected to be endorsed on Feb. 18, also poses tougher requirements for political parties to contest the elections.
Among other things, political parties must open an executive board in chapters in at least two-thirds of the total number of provinces, and in two-thirds of the regencies of each province.
Each political party must also have at least 1,000 members in each regional chapter.
Under the new requirements, political parties with less than 2 percent seats must merge with other parties, otherwise they are not allowed to contest in the elections.
Apart from approving the issue on political contestants, the House's committee unanimously agreed to adopt a combination of a proportional system and an open-list of candidates.
The two issues were among many other articles agreed upon at the meeting.
Agustin Teras Narang who presided over the meeting disclosed that there were still 22 unresolved items.
Legislators Ali Masykur Musa of PKB and Hamdan Zoelva of PBB appealed to fellow legislators to bring the unresolved items to a plenary session to be voted on, but other factions wanted to negotiate on those issues.
Among the unresolved items are the variance of the electoral system which includes the number of legislative seats and the constituency; the institution which must be held accountable for the elections; and the mechanism of the appointment of General Elections Commission (KPU) general secretary.
Legislators agreed to have a lobbying session on Saturday and would convene for another hearing with the minister before endorsement on Feb. 18.
Key articles in the elections bill
Article 6: Elections for members of House, Provincial Legislature, Regency Legislature adopt proportional system and open-list of candidates.
Article 78: Personal donations and institutional donations for the campaign must not exceed Rp 100 million and Rp 750 million respectively.
Article 80: Election contestants are not allowed to receive donations from foreign agencies, unidentified donors, government or state enterprises for the campaign.
Article 119: A decision to delay elections is issued by the President after hearing recommendations from KPU if the elections cannot take place in 40 percent of provinces or 50 percent of registered voters do not vote.
Article 137-141: Penalties for violations of this law vary from 15 days to 3 years imprisonment or Rp 100,000 to Rp 1 billion in fines.