Panwaslu questions KPU screening

Panwaslu questions KPU screening

JAKARTA: The Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu)
questioned on Monday the General Elections Commission (KPU)'s
decision to let Love the Indonesian Nation Democratic Party (PDKB
Indonesia) pass its administrative screening.

Panwaslu member Topo Santoso said the party, which
participated in the 1999 election under Love the Nation
Democratic Party (PDKB), had no legal status yet.

He said the legal problem had started since PDKB, which failed
to meet the 2 percent electoral threshold in the 1999 election,
failed to change its name when it registered with the Ministry of
Justice and Human Rights as a political party in February this
year.

Based on the political party law, parties that failed to meet
the electoral threshold in 1999 must join other parties or
register as new ones to contest the 2004 election.

Strangely, the ministry granted PDKB the legal entity status.
Later on, PDKB changed its name into PDKB Indonesia, in which the
ministry approved.

Topo said it was PDKB which should have undergone the next
process of verification by KPU thanks to its legal status. --JP