Political parties race against time for elections
Political parties race against time for elections
JAKARTA (JP): Political parties are racing to establish
chapters and branches in order to qualify to contest the June 7
general election.
The Team of Eleven -- in charge of examining and selecting
poll contestants -- continued on Wednesday its visits to the
political parties' regional offices.
In East Java, team member Afan Gaffar found three political
parties had established chapters outside of the provincial
capital of Surabaya. This violates the law on elections which
stipulates that parties must have at least nine chapters, all of
which must be in provincial capitals.
Afan said in Surabaya the Party for Indonesian People's
Struggle established its chapter in Malang, the Golkar Party in
Sidoarjo and the Ummat Awakening Party in Jombang.
Separately, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
said political parties may hold election campaigns on campuses as
long as they approach the rallies scientifically.
"A campus is also a public facility, so anybody can hold a
campaign on a campus," he said here on Wednesday.
However, parties will not be allowed to mobilize the masses on
the campuses, he said, adding, "Rectors and students should
determine the requirements for holding a campaign on the campus."
The minister suggested rallies which featured discussions and
dialogs where parties would be expected to explain their
platforms.
However, he added, "Let campus authorities determine the best
campaign model for them."
Meanwhile, it was reported from Semarang that the municipal
police were currently training a 285-strong civilian militia to
help secure the polls.
The civilian militia has been trained by the Diponegoro
Military Command for two weeks and will also receive five days of
military training from the police.
Central Java Provincial Police chief Maj. Gen. Nurfaizi said
that the militia was part of 4,000-strong civilian military to be
recruited to help police safeguard the election in the province.
"They will be paid Rp 200,000 a month," he said in Semarang on
Wednesday.
The following are some of the activities of the political
parties across the country:
* The Justice and Unity Party inaugurated on Wednesday its
party chapter in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. The inauguration
ceremony was presided over by chairman Edi Sudradjat.
Deputy chairwoman Meutia Hatta, who accompanied Edi to the
ceremony, said the party had no problem with a woman presidential
candidate.
"The most important thing is that she has the credibility and
capability to lead the nation," said Meutia, a daughter of the
country's first vice president, Mohammad Hatta.
* The National Mandate Party, the Republic Party, Golkar and
the Indonesian National Party joined a discussion on the
possibility of violence before and after the elections.
Political observer Hermawan Sulistyo said during the
discussion on Wednesday that the postelection period would be
prone to violence because defeated parties might reject the
election results.
Theo Sambuaga, Golkar deputy chairman, promised that if Golkar
lost, the party would be a good loser.
* Golkar is set to hold a meeting in the North Sumatran
provincial capital of Medan this Saturday. Golkar chairman Akbar
Tandjung is scheduled to attend.
No civil servants will be invited to the meeting, T.
Syaifuddin, a member of the meeting's organizing committee, said
here on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Herman Ibrahim, chief spokesman for the Ministry of
Home Affairs, said the General Election Committee (LPU) had begun
a number of preparations for the elections.
"A renovation project is underway at the LPU building before
the committee starts work on March 1," he said here on Wednesday.
He said LPU was also printing electoral registration forms
which would be needed once voter registration begins in early
April.
He said a small company appointed by LPU secretary-general
Feisal Tamin was handling the renovation project, and the
registration forms were being printed by state-owned PT
Percetakan Negara. (rms/01/21)