Parties fail the people: Minister

JAKARTA: Many political parties had been established in recent years with the only goal of satisfying the selfish interests of their founders rather than the people's welfare, a cabinet minister said.

National Development Planning Minister Kwik Kian Gie said on Wednesday that too much politicking would only lead the country into political chaos.

"Political leaders must become statesmen instead of politicians. They must stop playing politics because it can adversely impact a wide range of people," Kwik said at the opening of a panel discussion on democracy consolidation here on Wednesday.

Over 230 political parties have registered with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry. They had all vowed to participate in the 2004 general elections.

Golkar member Bomer Pasaribu and Justice and Unity Party leader Samuel Samson concurred with Kwik and stressed that people's increasing distrust in political parties needed special attention.

Fachry Hamzah of the Justice Party (PK), meanwhile, accused the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and Golkar of being power-greedy by backing moves to limit the number of presidential candidates in 2004 election to parties or coalitions that get at least 20 percent of the legislative candidates.

Fachry was referring to the presidential election bill which states that only political parties or coalitions garnering at least 20 percent of House seats would be allowed to nominate candidates for the presidential election. --JP