Multiparty pools offer vast range of choices

Multiparty pools offer vast range of choices

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia will formally end the long-established
triparty election system once the government-sanctioned
verification team, better known as the Team of Eleven, completes
its duty in the coming few days.

More than 140 parties have met administrative requirements,
but it is expected that only less than one third of them will be
eligible for the June 7 polls.

The Jakarta Post lists eight of political parties with a great
chance of qualifying and earning the lion's share of votes in the
first elections since the fall of New Order regime under Soeharto
in May last year.

Partai Keadilan (Justice Party), is an apparently elitist
party which brings together Muslim intellectuals. Its existence
was declared by 48 people who are widely known as Muslim scholars
rather than activists of a political party on Aug. 9, 1998 at the
Al Azhar Grand Mosque in South Jakarta.

"We want Islam to become our identity," Dr. Nur Mahmudi
Ismail, the party president, said. But the party is open to non-
Muslim people, according to him.

The party was set up due to concerns about the lack of justice
and moral conduct in the country during the last two regimes.

It aims to struggle for justice and prosperity for all
Indonesian citizens, to establish a civil society in which
Muslims play the key role, develop professionalism at all levels
and contribute to world culture.

Despite the fact that the party chooses Islam as its ideology,
Ismail denies that it has set a target of establishing an Islamic
country.

Having spread to all provinces but East Timor and Central
Kalimantan, the party hopes to win between 10 and 15 percent of
votes in the upcoming elections.

Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa (People's Awakening Party) is being
touted to restore the past fame of the peasant-oriented Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU) as a leading Islamic party in the country. With NU's
charismatic leader Abdurrahman Wahid playing the inspirational
role, the PKB is expected to emerge as one of the pacemakers in
the June elections.

Its chairman, Matori Abdul Djalil, said recently that should
the party win the coming polls, it would first of all work on
" reconciliation among the nation's various components."

"The nation needs its harmony and unity restored," Matori
said, addressing thousands of party sympathizers in a function in
Bandarlampung on Feb. 13.

The party was declared open to people of various religious
backgrounds and with Abdurrahman's close linkage to Megawati
Soekarnoputri, chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), it has quickly gained popularity
particularly among people who are longing for democracy.

PKB has named Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur, its
presidential candidate. It is expected that the PKB will join
forces with the PDI Perjuangan in a bid to complete the sweeping
reforms in the country.

PDI for Struggle has proved itself a real political power
although it was prevented from contesting the 1997 elections.

With Megawati Soekarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia's founding
president Sukarno, at the helm, the party is widely favored to
win the most votes in the June elections mainly because it
symbolizes the persistent challenge of people who have long
suffered from political repression.

Megawati was ousted as PDI chairwoman in a breakaway congress
backed by the government in 1996, presumably due to fears that
the party had emerged as a serious contender to the ruling party
Golkar.

Now taking a raging bull as its new mascot, the party still
boasts nationalism as its ideal. A number of retired high ranking
military officers and noted scholars have added to its firepower.

The party secretary general, Alex Litaay, said recently it had
branch offices in all 27 provinces and 312 districts across the
country. Alex estimated the party supporters at 30 million, nine
million of whom are registered as members.

Alex said the party would aim to maintain political freedom,
establish the rule of law, give extensive autonomy to the
provinces, and bring about a fair and prosperous society. It will
also campaign for Megawati as president.

Partai Amanat Nasional (National Mandate Party) is tipped as
another favorite to win the June elections, thanks in part to its
solid think-tank which comprises renowned intellectuals and its
energetic and outspoken chairman Amien Rais.

Amien was intensively involved in the May 1998 reform students
movement which ousted long-serving president Soeharto. Amien
remains a government critic now that the President B.J. Habibie
administration looks lethargic in handling Soeharto's alleged
corruption.

The party declares itself an open organization, although it is
apparent that it expects massive support from Muhammadiyah, a
Muslim organization formerly chaired by Amien.

PAN claims itself to be a vanguard of democracy and says it
strives for a civil society, which requires, among other things,
the eventual elimination of the Armed Forces' (ABRI)
sociopolitical roles. Amien demanded that the next House of
Representatives allocate 15 seats to ABRI, but to no avail. The
new Political Law says ABRI will have 38 House seats, about half
of its current share.

The party has nominated Amien its presidential candidate and
said it is prepared to form a coalition with other democracy-
orientated parties.

Partai Golongan Karya (Golkar) is struggling to make a
complete break with the past, but remains upbeat about its
chances in the upcoming elections. Having been used as a vehicle
by Soeharto to stay in power for three decades, Golkar may avoid
an embarrassing defeat thanks to the huge number of parties
contesting the polls.

According to political scientist Amien Rais, Golkar will need
only to win 20 percent of the votes to stay in power, assuming
that the rest of the votes are spread among the welter of rival
parties. With an anticipated 10 to 20 parties eligible to contest
the elections, no single party is capable of winning a majority
of votes.

To woo potential voters, the beleaguered Golkar is pondering
making itself an independent, proreform party. Many saw the
appointment of respected human rights activist Marzuki Darusman
as chairman of the Golkar faction in the People's Consultative
Assembly as part of its efforts to maintain the public's faith.

And despite its fast waning popularity, Golkar is financially
the strongest with at least Rp 17 billion (US$1.4 million) in its
coffers.

Its chairman Akbar Tandjung predicted recently that Golkar
would gain 40 percent of votes, despite losing traditional
support from civil servants who are now banned from alligning
themselves to any political party.

Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (United Development Party) has
returned to its old shape as an Islamic party. With many parties
choosing Islam as their philosophy, PPP will face an uphill test
to maintain its traditional supporters.

Under new chairman Hamzah Haz, who is also Minister of
Investment, the party has preserved its status as an "opposition"
party.

In the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Special Session in
November last year, PPP made a public apology for lacking the
guts to oppose the New Order regime. And to make amends for its
past mistakes, it pushed for the MPR to pass an exclusive
anticorruption ruling which targeted former president Soeharto.

The attempt failed, although the MPR unanimously resolved that
Soeharto's alleged wrongdoings during his 32-year reign would not
be exempted from the national anticorruption, collusion and
nepotism drive.

PPP also reacted strongly to a controversial conversation
between President B.J. Habibie and Attorney General Andi M.
Ghalib which was leaked to the press. Both men were heard
discussing the ongoing probe into Soeharto's alleged corruption,
which many viewed as a half-hearted move.

The party's faction at the House of Representatives urged the
legislative body to summon the President to clarify the
conversation he did not deny, but other factions found it
unnecessary.

PPP will continue to campaign for moral values, justice,
social welfare and democracy. It expects to win up to 20 percent
of votes in the polls.

Partai Bulan Bintang (Crescent Star Party) groups
intellectuals who come from 22 Muslim organizations and is
predicted to become a dark horse to watch, apart from PAN, in the
June elections.

The party constantly appeals for reconciliation among the
country's diversified parties in order to put an end to
political, religious and racial conflicts that have marked the
beginning of the reform era.

Party chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra, a noted constitutional
law professor, unveiled recently that it would target Muslim
clerics at pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) as potential
voters in the June polls.

PBB, which has already set up chapters in 327 regencies over
27 provinces, also expects to gain support from sympathizers of
Masjumi, a leading Muslim party which was banned by president
Sukarno in 1960s.

Partai Keadilan and Persatuan (Justice and Unity Party) is
built by former Armed Forces and Golkar members who claim to be
committed to starting a new life as vanguards of democracy and
national unity.

It names former Army chief of staff and minister of defense
Edi Sudradjat its initial chairman. Former noted Golkar cadres,
including Rachmat Witoelar, Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, Hayono Isman
and Siswono Yudohusodo, join the party to add to its firepower.

It remains unclear whether former vice president Try Sutrisno,
a close colleague to the party figures. will follow suit.

Edi says the party aims to improve people's welfare by
providing more jobs.

As for its presidential candidate, PKP has named Edi its
choice. Edi said recently he was prepared to contest the
presidency. (team)