Minor parties threaten to reject election results

Minor parties threaten to reject election results

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Nine minor political parties have threatened to reject the
results of the April 5 legislative election if the vote is
delayed in remote areas, while at the same time accusing the two
largest parties of campaign violations.

The parties said that both the General Elections Commission
(KPU) and the government should be held responsible for any delay
of the polls.

The elections law stipulates that the results of a general
election are valid only after they have been signed by all of the
parties contesting the polls.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri issued a regulation in lieu
of law on Friday that would allow the KPU to delay voting in
remote areas that have yet to receive election materials.

The nine parties are the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK),
the Freedom Party, the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK),
the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PPIB), the Indonesian Justice
and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), the Indonesian Democratic
Vanguard Party (PPDI), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the
Reform Star Party (PBR) and the Pioneers' Party.

Eros Djarot, speaking on behalf of the parties' leaders, said
here on Saturday voters should not cast their ballots for the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) or the
Golkar Party, which he said had committed the most violations
during the election campaign.

"We have also decided not to join any administration to be
formed by PDI Perjuangan or Golkar if they win the elections,"
said Eros, who leads the PNBK.

She said the parties' threat to reject the election results
was in response to the government's failures in organizing the
polls.

PPIB leader Sjahrir, who read a joint statement from the
parties, urged people not to vote for PDI Perjuangan or Golkar,
which the statement accused of failing to cope with major
national problems and committing campaign violations.

He said the two major parties had spent huge amounts of money
during the campaign to attract voters to their rallies and to
manipulate the media in their favor.

Sjahrir, who is also an economist, questioned where the two
parties had gotten the money for their campaigns, hinting that
the state budget, state-owned enterprises and the sale of state
asset were fertile financial sources for the parties.

A number of political parties that failed to qualify to
contest the elections have also threatened to file a lawsuit
against the KPU if the polls are delayed in the regions.