Parties ignore public demands: Forum

JAKARTA: Most of the 24 political parties contesting the upcoming elections are not concerned with public demands, the Forum of People's Concern for the House says.

The forum said on Thursday that only four of the 24 parties -- the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK), the Freedom Party, the Pancasila Patriots' Party, and the Indonesian Democratic Vanguard Party (PPDI) -- completed and returned its survey about their commitment to improving the performance of the House of Representatives (DPR).

Initially, the forum said, 10 parties, including Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), had picked up the survey and promised to return it.

Thirteen others, including the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), could not be contacted or were unavailable due to campaign activities, while one party could not be located.

The forum said the four respondents mostly agreed to public demands for transparency and accountability on the part of the House, among others. -- JP