Party chiefs tipped for House seats
JAKARTA (JP): Some of the newly established parties contending the June 7 general election are fielding their party leaders as legislative candidates and focusing their attention on West Java, which has the largest number of seats in the House of Representatives (DPR) with 82.
Wachdiat Sukarti, a leader of the Indonesian National Party led by Supeni (PNI-Supeni), for example, is being nominated as a legislative candidate by the party's chapter in Bogor, West Java.
"Our party has around 100 legislative candidates for West Java. But our chairwoman, Supeni, is a candidate in East Java along with Sukmawati Soekarnoputri," Wachdiat said on the sidelines of a workshop on political parties in Jakarta on Tuesday.
Sukmawati Soekarnoputri is the younger sister of Megawati Soekarnoputri, the chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).
According to the elections law, each political party can nominate up to twice the number of allotted legislative seats at each electorate level. Thus, parties may field up to 164 legislative candidates for West Java.
"Our party has to try hard because we have the same segment of voters as PDI Perjuangan and other nationalist parties. A tight competition among legislative candidates is certain," he said.
There are three other nationalist-based parties and they all share similar roots. The three parties are PNI-Front Marhaenis led by businessman Probosutedjo, PNI-Massa Marhaen (the Indonesian National Party-Marhaen) and the National Democrats Party (PND).
A total of 48 parties are contending the elections.
The Love the Nation Democratic Party (Partai Demokrasi Kasih Bangsa or PDKB), named chairman Manasse Malo, who is also a noted sociologist from the University of Indonesia, its legislative candidate for East Nusa Tenggara.
"Our secretary-general, Seto Haryanto, will run in Irian Jaya while another of our party leaders, Mervin Panjaitan, will be nominated in Jakarta," Hot Asi Napitupulu of PDKB said.
The most important thing is to have honest and qualified candidates, he said.
"Candidates must be people the voters know. But we have to admit that it is hard to find such candidates... so we will concentrate on quality, not quantity," he said.
Nahdlatul Ummat Party (PNU) also is concentrating its efforts on West Java, claiming the regencies of Tasikmalaya and Subang as strongholds.
"The party leaders, who are ulema such as Hamdan Rasyid, will run from our Bogor chapter, while Kusnadi Abdul Hafid will run in Bekasi, both in West Java," Endang Mubarak, PNU's vice secretary- general, said.
Endang will campaign and be nominated by PNU's Tasikmalaya branch in West Java.
Another party concentrating on West Java is Partai Indonesia Baru (the New Indonesia Party or PIB). It claims the majority of its constituents reside in West Java.
"All of PIB's leaders, including chairman Syaiful Anwar and secretary-general Zakiruddin Zamin, have been listed as candidates," Rahardja Mihardja of PIB said.
The parties said they did not want to overestimate their chances of winning votes in the province.
"We realize we are new and therefore we have to be realistic. The key is to present candidates who are welcome and known by the locals," Rahardja said.
The National Labor Party (PBN), however, will not nominate its chairman, labor activist Muchtar Pakpahan, as a legislative candidate.
"He (Muchtar) does not wish to become a candidate because many of the ILO (International Labor Organization) leaders suggested that he not run," Eko Hartono of PBN said.
"They do not want Muchtar to become the next 'Lech Walesa'. Walesa was a labor leader who became Polish president and then abandoned his followers," he said. (edt)