Draft of new political laws may provoke polemic

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The deliberation of the long-awaited review drafts of political laws requiring stricter conditions to contending the 2004 general election, will likely raise heating debates between the House of Representatives and the government and, even protests, especially from minority political parties since only a few parties have met the electoral threshold.

The draft law on general election requires minority parties to have at least two percent of 500 seats at the House, or to make alliance "to have passport" to contend the next elections.

Should the electoral threshold is endorsed, only six of 48 parties that contended the 1999 general election will be allowed to join in the next elections. The six are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

"The legal requirements is unfair and undemocratic. We will strive to seek better clause during the deliberation," said Gregorius Seto Haryanto, secretary-general of the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), told The Jakarta Post here on Sunday.

He said his party whose faction has merged with the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction at the House would lobby other minority parties to prevent the legislative body from endorsing it because the nation was in a transition to the democracy.

"We do not object to the stricter requirements after all political parties have settled. We are learning the democracy," he said.

PDKB is one of 26 minority parties forming minority factions in the legislative body.

Sutradara Gintings of the Justice Unity Party (PKP) which only secured only four seats at the House gave cooler response, saying that all political parties should understand the consequence of the requirements.

"Political parties that do not meet the requirements have to understand the consequence. They could either make a coalition or set up a new political party with its all consequences," Gintings told The Jakarta Post here.

Gintings, however, refused to reveal which action his party would take to cope with the condition.

Hidayat Nurwahid, chairman of the Justice Party (PK) which formed the reform faction with the National Mandate Party (PAN) confirmed that Islamic minority parties would likely make alliance to gain more seats in the next elections.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno called on minority parties to make alliance should they did not meet the electoral threshold to contend the next elections.

He said that ideally, the nation should impose a three percent of threshold to have lesser parties contending the elections.

The draft laws also impose stricter legal and administrative requirements for new parties to be eligible for the elections.

According to the draft law, new political parties are required to have branches in two-thirds, or 20, of 30 provinces and a certain number in that provinces' regencies. Each chapter is required to have at least 1,000 members proven with their own membership cards and the new parties are obliged to have their own permanent offices.

Andi A. Mallarangeng, a political observer, said he was of the opinion that the number of political parties contending the next elections should be limited under twenty by imposing stricter requirements.

"The electoral threshold of two percent is too soft. The quality of democracy is not based on the numerous number of parties contending elections," he said, citing Germany imposed five percent for parties to contend the elections.

The imposition of stricter requirements for establishment of new parties was needed to make them more independent, both financially and administratively, he said.

He added that the government should not provide financial aids for parties to force them to build a good communications with their supporters.

Arbi Sanit, a political expert of the University of Indonesia, concurred and said that the house and the government should be stricter to help educate both parties and the people on the democracy.

"If any political parties reject the requirements, they should adopt the district electoral system," he told the Post.