Big parties qualify for 2004 polls

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.