New organizations must first fulfill legal requirements
New organizations must first fulfill legal requirements
JAKARTA (JP): Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono said
yesterday that all recently established organizations must
fulfill legal requirements before their existence can be
recognized.
Moerdiono, during a hearing at the House of Representatives,
said they must pass the 1985 law on mass organizations, which
regulates freedom of association and assembly as guaranteed by
the 1945 Constitution.
He said the Constitution recognizes the need to regulate the
articles pertaining to the right of assembly and freedom of
speech.
The 1985 law sets out the minimum conditions mass
organizations must meet, including the required recognition of
Pancasila as their sole guiding principle, he said.
It also delineates the scope of an organization, whether it is
national, provincial or local.
"If they have many supporters, like Muhammadiyah or Nahdlatul
Ulama, then they are nationwide. But if they don't have many
supporters, should we give them a place?" he asked.
Members of the House's Commission II on domestic politics,
questioned Moerdiono about the government's stance on new
organizations. Some new organizations are using the same acronyms
and abbreviations as popular political parties in the 1950s and
1960s.
"The trend is confusing the people," Soenaryo, a member from
the Indonesian Democratic Party faction, told the minister.
The latest organization to emerge is the new Masyumi, named
with an acronym used by a popular Islamic party that was banned
in 1960 because of its association with an armed rebellion. Its
founders hope that Masyumi will one day become a political party
representing the interests of Moslems.
Old Masyumi members, however, have denounced founders of the
new organization for exploiting the popularity of the old party.
A new PNI, copying the old Indonesian Nationalist Party, and a
new Parkindo, imitating the Indonesian Christian Party, were
formed earlier.
By law, all new organizations must register with the Ministry
of Home Affairs. They may be approved if they fulfill the
requirements found in the 1985 legislation.
Amidst the commotion, controversial politician Sri Bintang
Pamungkas reiterated his intention to establish a new political
party which he plans to call the Democratic Union Party.
Bintang was a member of the House of Representatives for the
United Development Party (PPP). He was sacked in February for
repeatedly challenging the party's official line on sensitive
political issues.
A 1985 legislation on political parties only recognizes the
ruling Golkar faction, the PPP and the Indonesian Democratic
Party.
Moerdiono urged House members yesterday to look at the
emergence of these new organizations critically.
He emphasized a 1966 national consensus to limit the number of
political parties to three, and pointed out that the 1985 law on
mass organizations was also the result of 20 years of work in
instituting order and stability.
"Let's not turn the clock back," he urged.
He recalled that in 1966, the People's Consultative Assembly
agreed to end the multiparty system which had made governing the
country difficult. (01)