Political parties stand trial over asset ownership

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.