Team begins task of deciding poll participants

Team begins task of deciding poll participants

JAKARTA (JP): A team of respected and nonpartisan public
figures under Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid began the arduous
task on Wednesday of determining eligibility of more than 200 new
political parties for the June 7 general election.

Established by the government, the 11-member team will work
until the formation of the National Election Commission, mandated
by the new electoral law endorsed by the House of Representatives
last week.

It is essentially starting the groundwork for the election
until the commission's establishment, expected on March 1.

"Our (chief) job is to observe and verify the political
parties, whether they have fulfilled the legal requirements to
contest the election," Nurcholish told reporters after the team's
inaugural meeting at the office of the National Election
Institute.

He was accompanied by team members Miriam Budiardjo, a
political lecturer, former supreme court justice Adi Andojo,
political observers Andi A. Malarangeng and Eep Saefulloh Fatah
and student leader Rama Pratama.

Business consultant Kastorius Sinaga and human rights activist
Mulyana W. Kusumah left the venue immediately after the meeting.
Three other members -- human rights lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution,
political scientist Afan Gaffar and student leader Anas
Urbaningrum -- did not attend.

In addition to electing Nurcholish as team chairman, the
meeting chose Adnan Buyung and Adi Andojo as deputy chairmen, and
Andi and Rama as secretaries.

The government said the 11 were selected because of their
esteemed reputations and strong public credibility. The team will
help solicit widespread public support which the government needs
in preparing the election.

The National Election Commission will comprise five government
officials and a representative each from the political parties
qualified to contest the election.

Although the new law does not limit the number of political
parties which can be established, it requires each to have
chapters in nine of the 27 provinces, with branch offices in at
least 50 percent of the regencies of these provinces.

Many political parties established after the end of the
Soeharto regime in May are unlikely meet the criteria, leading to
their automatic disqualification from the election.

The three political parties recognized under Soeharto's regime
-- Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the government-
supported branch of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- are
exempt from the verification process.

"They are already stated as eligible parties by the law," Andi
Malarangeng said.

Nurcholish said the team would evaluate claims by the new
parties of enough chapters and branches nationwide to qualify.
"We will strive to give fair and objective assessments."

Andi said the team would visit provinces and regencies to
check on the parties' networks. It will be assisted by non-
governmental organizations, student groups and local
administrations.

Although the new parties have registered with the Ministry of
Home Affairs, they are required under the new law to report to
the Ministry of Justice starting on Thursday after they register
at a notary public.

Register

After meeting preliminary requirements, they can register with
the National Election Institute starting on Sunday.

Nurcholish's team will begin its verification work on Monday.

Rama said the team's findings would be announced to the public
as soon as possible.

The team is counting on parties merging in order to qualify to
contest the election, he said. "We've heard 82 parties plan to
form one. This would definitely ease our job."

Separately, Minister of Education and Culture Juwono Sudarsono
appealed to university administrators to be careful and wise in
their plan to deploy students as election monitors.

"Do not sacrifice the students. Make sure they are safe.
Proper and clear mechanism must be established," Juwono said
after inaugurating rectors of several state universities at his
office on Wednesday.

The forum of university rectors announced this week that it
would recruit 450,000 students to be deployed at about 600,000
polling stations.

Separately, Director General of Primary and Secondary
Education Indra Djati Sidi urged political parties not to exploit
students and teachers in the election campaign.

"I know that it is everybody's right to take part in political
activities... but I think it is not wise to manipulate the
education system." He feared rallies could turn violent.

"Golkar used to do that in the past... turning students into
political pawns. Now we have to stop this practice, and stop
sacrificing our children," he said. (edt)