Disarmament of GAM crucial to peace deal: Govt
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The government said on Friday that the disarmament of the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam would be the final crucial issue to be discussed during the upcoming peace talks aimed at ending the decades-long conflict in the tsunami- devastated province.
The fifth round of peace talks is slated to kick off on Tuesday in Finland.
"It is the key to solving the problem, namely, that there will be no more illegal weapons in Aceh," said State Minister for Communications and Information Sofyan Djalil, who has been playing an active role in the peace talks.
He added that the government was hopeful that the issue could be resolved during the talks.
Sofyan said that the government and GAM had reached agreement on 90 percent of the outstanding issues.
He added that the government would also grant GAM members amnesty, meaning that their civil rights would be restored, including the right to contest elections.
On Wednesday evening, Vice President Jusuf Kalla invited President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and leaders of the major political parties to talks over dinner at his official residence in a bid to seek political support for the peace process in Aceh.
Kalla, who is also the leader of the giant Golkar Party, has been playing a crucial role in promoting the cause of peace in Aceh. The government has offered greater autonomy in Aceh, but in return is demanding that GAM drop its claim to independence.
During the gathering, Kalla asked the party leaders in attendance to allow (former) GAM members to stand in local elections through their respective political parties. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) was not represented at the gathering.
The country's restrictive electoral law does not permit independent candidates to contest local elections, a prohibition widely seen as being designed to maintain Jakarta's hold on the regions. All political parties in the country must be organized on a nationwide basis, a requirement which would effectively prevent ex-GAM members from establishing a recognized political party or from standing in local elections in Aceh unless they are nominated by one of the established, Jakarta-dominated political parties.
The Indonesian government and GAM's exiled leaders commenced the peace talks in February this year after the oil-rich province was hit by the Dec. 26 tsunami.
GAM has been seeking independence for the oil-rich province since 1976.
During a recent interview with The Jakarta Post, GAM self- styled prime minister in exile Malik Mahmud said that he was confident that GAM members would receive the overwhelming support of the Acehnese people should truly democratic local elections ever be permitted in the province by Indonesia.
Meanwhile, PDI-P Secretary General Pramono Anung Wibowo said that his party would allow former GAM members to stand in local elections as long as what he termed "legal and political clarification" had been carried out.
"If the former GAM members have gone through legal and political clarification, it would not be a problem. Otherwise, the door will remain closed.