Small parties demand ban on holding two jobs
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A group of minor parties demanded on Monday that all party leaders be banned from key positions in the executive and judicial branches to avoid conflicts of interest.
The parties also said that political parties should not accept financial assistance from the state because of the country's weakening economy.
The 15 parties raised their concerns during a hearing with members of the House of Representatives' special committee deliberating the political party bill.
"Leaders of political parties should not be allowed to take up public positions to avoid conflict of interest and abuse of power," Medi Sutanto, of the Union of Indonesian Independence Defenders (IPKI), told the hearing.
Among them, the parties won less than 13 House seats. They include the Justice Party (PK), the Justice and Unity Party (PKP), the People's Sovereignty Party (PDR), Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).
Sutanto said the public positions were president and vice president, Cabinet ministers, governors and deputy governors, regents and deputy regent, mayors and deputy mayors, chiefs and deputy chiefs and members of the Supreme Court.
He proposed the restriction be inserted in Article 16 of the Bill on Political Parties, which states that political parties were not allowed to receive or demand funds from state or regional enterprises and humanitarian organizations.
Using state facilities for the interests of political parties has become a common practice in the country since the New Order era.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri chairs the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, while Vice President Hamzah Haz heads the United Development Party.
Megawati's cabinet also comprises leaders of various political parties.
Some members of the special committee rejected restricting political leaders from holding positions in executive and judicial offices.
Effendy Choirie of the National Awakening Party (PKB), the fourth largest party, said the ability of political leaders to obtain state posts was a normal occurrence.
"If our party wins the election, we will have a chance to fill the seats in the executive. That is normal thing," Effendy said.
However, he agreed on the control function performed by the House of Representatives (DPR) of the executive to avoid abuse of power.
Aisyah Aminy of the United Development Party (PPP) insisted that leaders of political parties in regency chapters should also be allowed to run for regent.
She also questioned demands that party executives resign from their parties before competing for government posts.
"I am afraid the politicians will lose everything if they fail to obtain the executive posts," she added.
Meanwhile, several women's groups on Monday demanded the election bill committee ensure that 30 percent of all political positions were reserved for women.
Grouped under the Women and Political Network, which consists of 36 women's groups, non-governmental organizations and scholars, demanded that political parties not be allowed to contest the 2004 elections if women did not comprise 30 percent of the executives on the parties's central board.
The House has pledged to complete deliberations by December to give the General Election Commission ample time to prepare for the 2004 elections. The commission badly needs legislation that will give it a legal basis to carry out its duties.
The government and the House have yet to decide whether to insert articles on direct presidential elections in the election bill or draft a separate bill.