Matori gives up PKB ghost, registers new party

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Matori Abdul Djalil's Democracy Glory Party (Pekade) registered with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Wednesday, putting an end to his long-running legal dispute with the National Awakening Party (PKB).

Pekade is now one of 91 political parties that have signed up to contest the 2004 general election. Government verification of the administrative requirements is needed by a party to obtain corporate status.

Matori, who is also the minister of defense, said his party's decision to participate in the registration process marked the end to his claim to be the rightful leader of the PKB, as well as the start of his campaign for next year's general election.

He was fired as PKB chairman in 2001 for attending the extraordinary session of the People's Consultative Assembly that eventually deposed President Abdurrahman Wahid, who is the PKB's founder and chief patron.

Matori founded a splinter group of the PKB and went to court to have it recognized as the "real" PKB. However, the court ruled in favor of Abdurrahman. The Supreme Court is now hearing Matori's appeal.

"It is easier and quicker to form a new party than to wait for a verdict from the Supreme Court," Matori said on Wednesday.

Matori claimed his new party had chapters in all the country's 30 provinces, and branches in 320 municipalities/regencies, far more than required by the law on political parties.

Besides Pekade, six other parties registered with the ministry on Wednesday. They were the United Democrat Party, the Indonesian People's Sovereignty Party, the Indonesian United Farmers Party, the Just and Prosperous Party, the Regional Unity Party and the Indonesian People's Unity Party.

Of the 91 parties registered so far, 21 are new ones.

Wicipto Setiadi, a member of the ministry's verification team, said the ministry would allow parties to register until Sept. 27 before verification.

Only nine parties have already passed the screening process by the ministry. They must go through further vetting by the General Elections Commission (KPU) before being eligible to contest the 2004 general election.