Only five parties turn up for debate

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)