Three more parties pass KPU screening
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The General Elections Commission (KPU) announced on Monday that three more political parties passed administrative screening, but said five parties had yet to complete all the requirements for verification.
KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah, who is in charge of the screening, said the three parties which qualified for field verification were the New Indonesia Alliance Party (PIB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United National Democratic Party (PPDK).
The Reform Party, Catholic Party, Indonesian Workers Party (PPTKI), Mutual Assistance Party, and the Indonesian Nationalist Unification Party (PPNI), were asked to submit further documents required for administrative screening.
The PPNI, for example, only submitted documents from two branch offices in Jambi and South Sumatra, instead of from 21 provinces, according to Mulyana.
The Reform Party, he said, did not hand in membership cards from two provinces, while the PPTKI and Gotong Royong Party only submitted membership cards without documents stating the locations of the branch offices and their executives.
All parties must submit such documents from at least 21 provinces and two-thirds of the total regencies in those provinces for administrative screening to go ahead.
"We will send them official letters about our screening process. They must furnish the required documents within a week," Mulyana told reporters.
The KPU has now verified seven parties examined, including the National Concern Party (PKPB), Indonesian Union Party (PSI), and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKP Indonesia), and Star Party of Reform (PBR).
A total of 50 parties submitted applications last week to the KPU to contest the 2004 elections after passing earlier screening by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights.
Six of them - the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, United Development Party (PPP), National Awakening Party (PKB), National Mandate Party (PAN) and Crescent Star Party (PBB) -- will be automatically allowed to contest next year's election as they already met the 2 percent electoral threshold in the 1999 election.
The administrative screening process started on Oct. 10 and will end on Oct. 16.
Parties that fail to pass the verification process will be given one more week between Oct. 18 and Oct. 25 to complete their documents for the field examination scheduled to run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1.
The legislative elections will take place on April 5, 2004, followed by the first round of the country's first ever direct presidential election on July 5, with the run-off taking place on Sept. 20.
Separately, KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti announced that 143.192 million people were eligible to vote in the 2004 general elections according to the national population and voters census conducted by the Central Statistics Agency.
The census also revealed that the Indonesian population now stood at 214.703 million.
He also said that after receiving feedback from various stake holders, the electoral district map would be gradually decided upon.
On Monday, electoral districts for the provincial legislative council seats in Jakarta, Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java and Yogyakarta in Java were declared definitive.
Jakarta is divided into five electoral districts with 75 seats at the provincial legislature up for grabs, Banten into six electoral districts with 75 seats, West Java into 11 electoral districts with 100 seats. Central Java has 10 electoral districts with 100 seats, Yogyakarta has five electoral districts with 55 seats and East Java has 10 electoral districts with 100 seats.
However, the seats on offer in the electoral district combining the Central Java towns of Magelang, Purworejo, Wonosobo and Temanggung have been revised from 10 to 11, due to a miscalculation.