More parties demand fairer election rules

JAKARTA (JP): More political parties have called for equal chances to contest next May's general election.

Alexander Litaay of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) under Megawati Soekarnoputri, Nurdin Purnomo of the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Party (PBTI), Ponijan Liauw of the Chinese-Indonesian Reform Party (Parti), Supeni of the Indonesian National Party (PNI) and Sri Bintang Pamungkas of the Indonesian Democratic Union Party (PUDI) suggested on Saturday that there should be no restrictions for parties to take part in the elections.

They were responding to the government's bill on general elections, particularly requirements for parties to contest elections. The bill is among three draft laws submitted last week to the House of Representatives by the government.

Among the requirements to contest elections is one that states that a party must have branches in at least 14 provinces or have one million registered supporters. About 80 parties have been set up since May.

"A party's eligibility and acceptability should be determined by the result of the general election itself," PDI's Litaay told The Jakarta Post. He added that more than 7 percent of the vote would be needed by a party before it could be represented in the legislative body.

"If there should be a requirement that a party must have registered supporters of its own, the required number of party supporters should be reduced," he added. On Friday, National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais suggested that the required one million signatures be reduced by half.

However, Nurdin of the Bhinneka Tunggal Ika Party objected to a minimum requirement of party supporters. He added that it would also be illogical to require a party to have regional offices in at least 14 provinces.

"What about a party with more than one million supporters that are all concentrated in one province?" he asked.

Similarly, senior politician Supeni, one of the few women party leaders, said the government had no right to limit the number of election contestants. Only voters should determine the fate of a party, the PNI chairwoman said.

Sri Bintang, who recently received a political pardon from President B.J. Habibie, said the requirement to obtain one million signatures was merely aimed at destroying new political parties, because it was not easy to collect such a huge number of signatures.

"Even in Russia, the government only requires 50,000 signatures for new political parties," he said, adding that all parties should be allowed to participate in the elections.

Sri Bintang's PUDI has formed a coalition with 14 minor parties. Another 13 parties have formed the Alliance of Reform Parties.

Cost

Ponijan Liauw, one of the founders of the Chinese-Indonesian Reform Party (PARTI), said the bills should be opposed because most new parties would not be able to fulfill the requirements.

"With the obligation to collect one million signatures, it means that if one form costs Rp 100, we would need at least Rp 100 million," Ponijan said. "It is very clear that the government wants to maintain its power," he said.

The party officials also disagreed with clause 14 of the bill on political parties, which limits the amount of annual donations to Rp 5 million (US$454.50) from individuals and Rp 50 million from corporations or institutions.

"Such a regulation would benefit Golkar only," Litaay said, echoing an earlier opinion voiced by PAN's secretary-general, Faisal Basri. Litaay said further that the ruling political organization already had billions of rupiah which it inherited from Golkar's previous leadership.

Nurdin, meanwhile, demanded a transparent audit on Golkar's financial status prior to the elections.

Supeni said the bills were solely aimed to ensure Golkar's victory in the next general election.

The officials' opinions, however, differed in reference to clause 10 in the bill on political parties, which does not allow some four million members of the Civil Servants Corps (Korpri) to become members or officials of political parties.

While Litaay said civil servants should be free to vote for any party, he agreed that civil servants should ask for unpaid leave, as mentioned earlier by Ryaas Rasyid, who heads the government team for the drafting of political laws.

Ryaas had also said civil servants would be free to vote for any party, freeing them of the tradition that they must vote for Golkar. But Nurdin said members of the civil servants corps must be prohibited from joining any political parties.

The officials also differed in opinion on the Armed Forces' (ABRI) representation in the House of Representatives, and on military members' right to vote. The bill, like the previous law, bans ABRI members from voting.

"ABRI members should be given an equal chance like other parties' members to elect and to be elected," Supeni of the PNI said. No one, including ABRI members, should be allowed to be appointed and should earn their seats, she said.

Because of its "historical" role, the bill allocates 55 seats in the House for ABRI members.

"However, when they are elected they must choose to continue either their military career or political career," Supeni said.

Nurdin said ABRI should not be allocated any seats in either the House or the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

With such limitations and the maintained allocation of ABRI, Sri Bintang said of the bill: "The government interference is very clear, the dominant role of ABRI is still there. They just want to hold the elections under the abusive New Order system." (imn/prb)