Existing parties need tuning up, analysts advise

JAKARTA (JP): Political observers said yesterday that it would be more effective to reform the three main political parties -- the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- rather than forming myriad small parties with divisive tendencies.

Former minister of home affairs Rudini said that the three political parties were probably sufficient to serve the needs of the people, however internal reform and corrections would likely be needed.

"All three political parties are good, but they should change the way they implement and work within the political system. Democracy will not grow if the power is developed and controlled in one hand (party)," the retired general told a discussion on the growth of religion-affiliated political parties here yesterday.

"I personally do not have anything against parties which have religious or ethnic affiliations, but in my experience during my tours of duty I saw a lot of suffering caused by such divisions," he explained.

"Thus I believe it is better not to establish new political parties then to end up killing each other".

Under the current climate of reform and the lax political environment of President B.J. Habibie, new political parties have been sprouting on an almost daily basis in the past month.

Rudini expressed confidence that even if there were a slew of new parties intending to contest the elections, many would eventual perish due to a lack of popularity.

"They will decline naturally, when they have no support at all," he said.

Several observers have expressed concern that these parties, which often base themselves on particular issues or platforms, such as gender, ethnicity, environment or religion.

Jusuf Syakir, a member of the Supreme Advisory Council and former leader of the PPP faction in the People's Consultative Assembly, concurred with Rudini but stressed that the existing parties must accommodate all elements and societal groups.

Jusuf cited his own party as an example, noting that PPP had failed to accommodate all members which come from Moslem groups.

"The people's break from the existing parties is not due to principles, such as Pancasila or religion or race, but more out of discontent with the political practices of the three parties and government," he said. "This is what we need to reform."

This encouraged some of the groups to form their own parties which embodied their identities, he said.

Dawam Rahardjo, a political scientist from the Center for Information and Development Studies, while not adverse to the establishment of new political parties, maintained that the era of ideological crusades based on individual interests was past. (ivy)