Eight parties thought to have failed screening

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Eight political parties could be dismissed from the ongoing verification process being conducted by the General Elections Commission (KPU) for failing to submit the required documents.

Dismissal would keep the parties -- the Glorious Marhaen Nationalist Party, Gotong Royong Party, Islamic Party, Pro- Republic Party, Republic of Indonesia Union Party, Catholic Party, Indonesian Workers Party and the Indonesian Nationalist Unity Party -- from contesting the legislative elections next year.

A reliable source said seven of the parties had definitively failed to pass the administrative screening, with documents submitted by the parties valid in fewer than the minimum required 21 provinces.

However, the KPU insisted it would thoroughly recheck the parties' documents before announcing the final results of the administrative screening.

"We want to be very prudent in announcing the screening results as the process determines the life or death of a party. We will finish rechecking tonight (Monday) and announce the outcome on Tuesday afternoon," KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Monday.

The KPU completed on Friday the administrative verification of 50 parties that had passed a screening by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. Of these 50, six parties automatically will be allowed to contest the 2004 elections because they met the 2 percent electoral threshold in the 1999 polls.

The six automatic qualifiers are the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Crescent and Star Party (PBB).

A total of 48 parties contested the general election in 1999.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who is in charge of party verification, said 36 parties had so far passed the administrative screening and qualified for further factual verification.

However, the commission remains divided over the legality of the Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB Indonesia), he said.

All 36 of these parties will have their provincial and regency-level offices checked before Nov. 20. This will include field checks of the parties' addresses in 21 provinces and in two-thirds of total regencies/municipalities in those 21 provinces.

Between Nov. 21 and Nov. 29, the KPU must receive factual screening reports from all provincial KPUs across the country.

On Dec. 2, the KPU will announce which political parties are eligible to contest the 2004 elections.

The election of legislative members will take place on April 5, 2004, followed by a direct presidential election on July 5 and a possible runoff on Sept. 20.