Only five parties turn up for debate

PURWOKERTO, Central Java: Of 35 parties registered to contest the June polls here, only five sent representatives to a public debate organized by the Student Senates of General Soedirman University here on Friday.

The parties which turned up were the National Mandate Party (PAN), National Awakening Party (PKB), Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Crescent Star Party (PBB) and Justice Party (PK).

"Most of those who failed to come cited the lack of quality representatives as their excuse," chairman of the student senates, Kundiyarto, said.

Despite the large number of absent guests, hundreds of enthusiastic students packed the meeting hall which accommodated the debate.

Most of the questions raised to the party representatives dealt with the parties' stance on the Indonesian Military's (TNI) dual role.

In response to the question, PKB local secretary Ahmad Ihsan said it would take the nation quite a long time to send the military back to the barracks. "We should not be that hasty to revoke TNI's dual role," he said. (45)