Political parties rush to register with KPU

Moch. N. Kurniawan The Jakarta Post Jakarta

Political parties are rushing to register with the General Elections Commission (KPU) as the Oct. 9 deadline fast approaches.

Three parties -- the Indonesian Democratic Catholic Party, the New Indonesian Alliance Party (PIB), and the Democratic Party -- registered with the KPU on Monday.

PIB chairman Sjahrir told the press at the KPU offices on Monday that his party had branch offices in 26 provinces, well above the minimum requirement of branches in two-thirds of the country's 32 provinces.

S. Budhisantoso, chairman of the Democratic Party, said that his party had set up offices in 28 provinces and 332 regencies and municipalities.

Also on Monday, the Indonesian Islamic Party picked up a registration form from the KPU and promised to return it on Oct. 9.

Vice President Hamzah Haz's United Development Party (PPP) is scheduled to register with the KPU on Tuesday.

Ten political parties had earlier registered with the KPU -- the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the National Concerned Party (PKPB), the Reform Star Party (PBR), the Indonesian Union Party (PSI), the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), the National Unifying Party (PPB).

The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights has declared 50 parties to be legitimate and thus have the right to register with the KPU to compete in the 2004 legislative and presidential elections.

Only parties that have offices in two-thirds of the country's 32 provinces and in two-thirds of the regencies/municipalities in those provinces will be allowed to contest the elections.

Six political parties -- the PDI Perjuangan, Golkar, PPP, the National Awakening Party (PKB), and the PBB -- have secured their rights to participate in the upcoming elections as they met the two percent electoral threshold in the 1999 election.

Meanwhile, 17 of the 34 parties that failed to pass the third and final screening urged the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Monday to conduct a fresh verification process, insisting that they had met the necessary requirements.

However, they refused to take legal action against the ministry's decision, saying they would not be able to register with the KPU by Oct. 9 even if they won their lawsuits.

The director general of legal administration at the ministry, Zulkarnaen Yunus, said that the ministry would not change the outcome of the screening.

He called on the dissatisfied parties to take legal action against the ministry's decision.

Zulkarnaen earlier said that most of the 34 parties that did not pass the third and last screening did not have required number of branch offices in provinces and regencies.

A party has to have branch offices in 50 percent of provinces, 50 percent of the regencies/municipalities in those provinces, and 25 percent of the total subdistricts in those regencies, the prevailing law says.