Party chiefs tipped for House seats

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)