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.