Bill allows only big parties to run for presidency

Bill allows only big parties to run for presidency

Tiarma Siboro and Debbie Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Only a coalition of parties or those parties securing at least 20
percent of the vote are allowed to name their presidential and
vice presidential candidates in the 2004 election, a government-
sponsored draft law states.

The presidential election bill also proposes that a party or a
coalition of parties nominate only one pair for presidential and
vice presidential posts.

Regarding the timing, the draft says the presidential election
will take place after the election of members of the House of
Representatives (DPR) and Regional Representatives Council (DPD).
The names of presidential candidates, however, can be made public
before the general election.

The last election in 1999 saw the Indonesian Democratic Party
of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) finish first by winning 34 percent
of the vote, but lose in the presidential race to a loose
coalition of Muslim parties and Golkar.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said on Tuesday the
draft, the fourth of its kind, would be presented to President
Megawati Soekarnoputri on Thursday. He expected to immediately
submit the bill to the House for deliberation.

Hari was speaking during a media conference that followed a
ministerial meeting on political and security affairs presided
over by Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at Susilo's office.

The meeting was held to discuss several issues, including the
bills on political parties, the general election, the direct
presidential election and the composition and construction of the
People's Consultative Assembly/House of Representatives and
regional legislatures.

Deliberation of the first two bills are under way at the
House, but it is almost unlikely that they will be passed by the
end of the year as scheduled.

The presidential election bill stipulates that the
presidential and vice presidential candidates have to meet
certain requirements, including being Indonesian and having a
clean track record.

"Since the presidential election and general election are
national events, any local regulation implemented by certain
regions should comply with the law," Hari said.

"For example, the Papuan People's Council, which was
established in line with the special autonomy granted to that
province, has no authority to nominate its presidential
candidates," Hari said.

The presence of local parties, as well as local independent
candidates, will not be accommodated in the bill, Hari said.

With regard to the bill on political parties being deliberated
at the House, Hari said that the government was considering
financially supporting parties that win seats at the House, but
asserted that the subsidy would only be aimed at helping the
parties' offices run their daily activities.

Previously, the government planned to stop supporting the
political parties in an attempt to make them more independent.

Despite strong rejections from several non-governmental
organizations against the political party bill, including the
Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro), Hari said that the
government would maintain its presence in the General Election
Commission (KPU) through a secretary-general.

Hari said the government's presence in KPU was aimed at
helping it monitor political parties' financial reports.