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.