Parties gear up for elections

As many as 141 political parties have passed the first "test" in order to contest the June 7 general election. They meet the stipulated administrative requirements. As of Saturday evening, 102 of those had been registered with the General Election Institution (LPU) prior to being judged eligible for the contest by the Team of Eleven. The Jakarta Post's Benget Simbolon, Edith Hartanto, Dwi Atmanta, Mohammad Yazid, Ridwan Max Sijabat, Riyadi, Yogita Tahil Ramani and IGN Oka Budhi Yogaswara examine the parties, their prospect and profile.

JAKARTA (JP): Thirteen weeks ahead of the June 7 general election, the political condition at home is much different from what it was some months ago as most people have paid attention to the revived multiparty polls.

Both electronic and print media have concentrated their reports on and around the elections and political parties' activities on the eve of the election.

A great number of new political parties are busy making preparations, including organizing campaign-model grand meetings.

Streets in Jakarta, provincial capitals and other urban and rural areas across the country have been filled with "political" banners and flags at strategic sites.

In addition many drivers have put their favorite party's symbols on their cars, public buses, cars and trucks.

Logos and party flags highlighting the streets predominantly belong to the ruling Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Justice and Unity Party (PKP).

At least 141 of 234 political parties registered with the Home Affairs Ministry have passed the first selection process conducted by the Ministry of Justice and they are now undergoing verification by the independent Team of Eleven.

All political parties are subject to this verification, which is intended to find out if they indeed have the minimum number of provincial and district branches required. Even the old poll contestants -- Golkar, PPP and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- must undergo the procedures stipulated by the 1999 law on general elections.

The law requires political parties to have at least nine provincial chapters, with each of them having representatives in half of the province's regencies.

Many people have observed that despite the huge number only between 20 and 30 parties are expected to clear the Team of Eleven's test.

The team has found many party branches in the regencies run their secretariats from food stalls or private homes.

A team member, Adi Andojo Sutjipto, who is in charge of West and Central Java, said many parties rejected verification because of their poor preparations.

Favorites

Among the parties to watch are Golkar, PDI Perjuangan, PPP, PAN, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Justice and Unity Party (PKP), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the Indonesian Uni- democracy Party, the Republic Party and the Nadhlatul Ummat Party (NU).

Theo Sambuaga, Golkar deputy chairman, said that despite fierce criticisms and condemnations from many sides, Golkar should be considered a favorite party because it still has loyal members and sympathizers in urban and rural areas across the country.

"We have held consolidation meetings in 66,000 villages," he said recently. He stated that his party is fighting it out to win support from youth from all layers, businessmen, farmers, fishermen, the education world in the country and ulemas.

In the past Golkar was widely known as a vehicle of former president Soeharto whose 32-year rule ended following May 1998 students demonstrations.

Golkar won each of the last six elections but did not do much to encourage democracy. It has also been blamed for the widening socioeconomic gap.

Haryanto Taslam, deputy secretary of PDI Perjuangan, said that his party hopes to make the general election a success as a democratic way of saving the nation from chaos and disintegration.

He said that his party is ready both physically and financially to contest the fiesta of democracy. He said PDI has chapters in 26 provinces and branches in 245 of 318 regencies and it has built Gotong Royong command posts in almost all villages in Java, Bali, Sumatra and Sulawesi.

"At least Java and Bali are in hand," he told reporters recently.

Hamzah Haz, PPP chairman, said that his party has nothing to worry about since it had fared well in the past elections.

"PPP has a special place in the people's hearts but it has been never "given" opportunities to be a winner because of manipulation in the past," he said recently in a party gathering in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

He said he was optimistic his party, which has met all legal and administrative requirements for the elections, would grab at least 30 percent of the votes in the next election.

Muhaimin Iskandar, PKB secretary general, said that the party has three segments and three main programs.

"PKB votes will be 70 percent from the around 30 million Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) followers, 15 percent from the Chinese and Christians and another 15 percent from Muslim people outside NU," he said.

PKB and Nadhlatul Ummat Party are two of the four political parties which expect support from NU followers. Both parties will particularly seek voters in East Java, especially in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) in the province.

Santoso, PAN deputy secretary general, said his party has disseminated the idea of New Indonesia as its political platform and has drawn enthusiasm from almost all layers of society.

"Our main program is to establish a new Indonesia and the rule of law, and thus put an end to the crisis," he said recently.

Many parties have taken Islam as their principle in a bid to woo voters. These parties include the Justice Party, New Masyumi, the Islamic Syarikat Party, the Two Verses Party, the Muslim Umat Party and many others which have great potential of winning the election if they join forces, or merge.

Apart from fears that the elections will be prone to violence, just and honest polls remain a big question mark.

Arbi Sanit, a political expert from the University of Indonesia, has criticized the law on political parties for threatening only 30 days jail and a Rp 100 million fine for parties found guilty of indulging in money politics.

"The law should impose stiff sanctions on violating donors and parties," he said, citing the fact that parties receiving more than that stipulated by the law were not subject to punishment.

The law allows individuals to contribute a maximum of Rp 15 million a month and companies a maximum of Rp 150 million a month to political parties. It also barred parties from receiving foreign aid.

According to the law, political parties are obliged to make an annual financial report to the Supreme Court and they should be open to audit by public accountants. The court has the authority to disband violating parties.

Besides, the law also requires political parties to uphold the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila state ideology and to maintain national unity.