No party reaches 30 percent of women running

No party reaches 30 percent of women running

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A total of 7,756 nominees were declared eligible on Wednesday for
this year's legislative election, but no party met the 30 percent
recommendation for lady candidates in all 69 electoral districts.

"The 7,756 candidates will compete for 550 seats in the House
of Representatives," General Elections Commission (KPU) member
Anas Urbaningrum, who chaired the commission's verification team,
announced on Wednesday.

A total of 8,441 legislative hopefuls from 24 political
parties submitted their names to KPU.

However, none of the 24 political parties eligible for the
legislative election fulfilled their pledge to allocate 30
percent of legislative seats for women. Golkar, the chief
proponent of that percentage, met the ruling in only 24 electoral
districts, making it the political party with the least number of
women running.

The only party that nearly met the 30 percent threshold was
the Muslim-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), in 65 of 69
electoral districts.

All the other big name parties, such as the Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development
Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National
Mandate Party (PAN), and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) also
failed.

Anas said all 202 candidates of the Freedom Party and 446 from
PKS managed to pass the screening, while 100 from PKB and 120
from the Socialist Democratic Labor Party (PBDS) were
disqualified.

"One hundred of 551 candidates from PKB and 120 of 362 from
PBSD were disqualified from the election," Anas said without
elaborating.

He stressed that the number of candidates qualified for the
legislative election was final. KPU will announce to the public
the final list on Jan. 29.

PKB secretary general Saifullah Yusuf said Wednesday that some
legislative entrants from his party did not pass because they had
not submitted certain documents like the letter from the court
showing no crimes had been committed and/or their wealth audit
records.

"If the decisions were made based on clear rulings, we will
accept them," he said.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said earlier that PKB chairman
Alwi Shihab's assistant Umi Zahrok and current PKB legislator
Sugiharti M. Karim were disqualified due to the absence of a
signature from the party's chairman or secretary general.

Sources said that a number of executives in PKB board of
executives also failed to pass the KPU screening.

Separately, PBSD secretary-general Diah Indriastuti said that
all the women nominated between Jan. 6 and Jan. 19 were
disqualified by the KPU.

The KPU announced in mid-December that 940 candidates from 31
provinces were qualified to vie for 124 seats in the Regional
Representatives Council (DPD). The House and the DPD will form
the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

The country will hold its legislative election on April 5.

Any of the 24 parties or coalitions of parties that garner at
least 3 percent of seats in the House or 5 percent of total votes
will be allowed to put up a candidate for the first round of the
direct presidential election on July 5. Should the first round
fail to produce a clear winner with over 50 percent of the vote,
a second round of voting would be held on Sept. 20.