Political parties committed to women

Political parties committed to women

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Major political parties claimed on Friday to have improved their
awareness of women's empowerment, including by giving them more
opportunities to be members of legislative bodies.

The deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Pramono Anung Wibowo, said
women would make up 30 percent of the party's legislative
candidates for next year's general election as recommended by the
2003 election law.

Pramomo said the party's women members were involved in the
selection process of legislative candidates as well.

"The issue of women representation in PDI Perjuangan has been
settled. My party has decided to pick male and female candidates
alternately on the list," he told a regular discussion at the
House of Representatives here.

The practice, he said, would give women more opportunity to
enter the legislature.

He added that in some regions the party placed women at the
top of the candidate list because they led the regional chapters.

Golkar deputy chairwoman Marwah Daud Ibrahim acknowledged that
although her party had not made a decision on the issue, she was
sure that her party supported the idea of giving more
opportunities to women.

Both politicians were speaking at a discussion on
"Keterwakilan Perempuan: Antara Harapan dan Kenyataan" (Women
Representation: Between Expectation and Reality) at the House.

Also speaking at the discussion was film actress Nurul Arifin
of the Golkar Party.

Article 65 of Law No 15/2003 on elections recommends that
political parties make up to 30 percent of their total candidates
women.

"Although the article does not bind political parties, the
recommendation is inspiring," Marwah said.

Nurul meanwhile said she had decided to join Golkar not
because of its offer to nominate her as a legislative candidate.

"There is never any guarantees in politics. I will contest the
election to voice the aspirations of the people," said Nurul, who
also actively campaigns against drugs and HIV/AIDS.

Pramono added that whether or not the quota of 30 percent
could be fulfilled would depend on the capabilities of the women
themselves.

He said seats in the legislature were not given away but had
to be fought for.

A study conducted by the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro)
showed that seven major political parties appeared committed to
women representatives.

PDI Perjuangan, for example, had allocated 20 percent of the
party's posts for women even before the election law was
endorsed, Cetro said.

Golkar set up a women's organization, the KPPG, in 2002 and
vowed to allocate 30 percent of its seats for women during its
leadership meeting in April this year.

Cetro said that Islamic-based United Development Party's (PPP)
culture and tradition indicated that it would not be committed to
women representation.

Women from PPP-affiliated mass organizations hardly have
access to legislative bodies, Cetro said.

Other major Muslim-based parties, the National Awakening Party
(PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), recognize in their
platforms women representation up to 30 percent, so do the
Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)
despite their struggle to have sharia introduced.