Political parties stand trial over asset ownership

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Central Jakarta District Court commenced on Monday the trial of three large political parties that were accused by 13 new political parties of illegally occupying state assets as their offices.

However, the opening trial turned to disappointment as only six of the 13 party leaders had briefed lawyers.

Legal representative of the United Development Party (PPP), one of the accused, said the lack of party leaders showed that the plaintiffs were not serious in presenting their case.

"We have seen the suit and found that seven party leaders, including Amien Rais from the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Sjahrir from the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB), have not signed it yet," PPP lawyer Sjaiful Rahman said.

The accused are PPP, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party.

The 13 parties also demanded that the administration of President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is PDI-P leader, withdraw the state assets from the major political parties.

The plaintiffs accused the three of violating Law No. 5/1960 on land reform, as the law stipulates that only individuals and legal entities are eligible to own land; therefore, they demanded the accused return the state assets they occupied.

"The three political parties are not legal entities ... their ownership of the land is therefore unlawful," lawyer Ikhsan Abdullah said.

Ikhsan added that the lawsuit was part of attempts by the new political parties to end widespread corruption as well as the abuse of state assets in the country.

PPP, PDI-P and Golkar are the brainchildren of the authoritative administration of former president Soeharto. Each of the three was a fusion of dozens of political parties that shared an ideological affinity.

The parties were then given a chance to benefit from state facilities in return for their acceptance of government policies.

Golkar was given a plot of land in Slipi, West Jakarta, on which its central office sits. PPP and PDI-P were also provided with land for their offices, on Jl. Diponegoro, Central Jakarta.

The government currently no longer provides office buildings to the large number of new political parties established since the fall of Soeharto in May 1998.

Presiding judge Herri Swantoro adjourned the trial until Feb. 3, the date when the panel of judges will offer an amicable settlement of the case to both parties.