Eight parties thought to have failed screening
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.