Parties fail the people: Minister

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