18 Political Parties Get a Second Chance to Contest 2014 Election

Fuente: 
Jakarta Globe
Fecha de publicación: 
28 Nov 2012

The Election Organizers Ethics Council (DKPP) decided on Tuesday that the 18 political parties that failed to pass the first part of the verification process still have a chance to contest the 2014 elections

“[We are] declaring the report of the plaintiffs partially proven, and approving the recommendation of the plaintiffs that the General Election Commission (KPU) should give political parties that did not pass the administrative verification phase the chance to join the factual verification phase according to the KPU schedule,” Jimly Asshiddiqie, chief of DKPP, said as he read the ruling. 

The plaintiffs, the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) and election watchdog Sigma, reported the KPU to the DKPP for violating ethics during the verification process, from the registration until the announcement of the parties that passed. 

The KPU announced on Oct. 28 that 16 out of 34 parties had passed the first part of the verification process to become eligible to contest the 2014 election. 

All nine parties, which hold seats in the current legislature, were among the 16 that advanced. The only new party set to participate in the 2014 election is the National Democratic Party, which is backed by media moguls Surya Paloh and Hary Tanoesoedibjo. 

The remaining six qualified parties are the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party; the New Indonesian National Sovereignty Party; the National Union Party; the National People’s Concern Party; the People’s Democratic Party; and the Star Crescent Party — which last held a seat in the legislature in 2004. 

Those disqualified by the KPU included the National Republican Party, which was founded by Hutomo “Tommy” Mandala Putra — a son of former dictator Suharto, and the Independent People’s Union Party, which earned itself media attention for saying it wanted to nominate Sri Mulyani Indrawati, a former finance minister, as its presidential candidate. 

The Christian-based Prosperous Peace Party, which had participated in the last two elections, failed to make the cut. 

Among the alleged ethical violations raised by the plaintiffs was KPU's delaying of the announcement of the verification results, announcing it on Oct. 28 instead of the scheduled date of Oct. 23-25. 

Bawaslu also deemed that 12 of the 18 parites that failed to make the first cut should have passed. 

Though the DKPP decided that KPU did not violate ethics in the intial phase, Jimly said the 18 parties had the same constitutional rights as the parties that passed. 

Jimly also warned that KPU should work in a more professional, transparent, just and accountable manner. 

KPU chairman Husni Kamil Manik said he would hold an internal meeting to discuss the decision. 

“We have to carefully consider our response to the ruling,” Husni said. “We'll read [the ruling] again, who knows if what we heard and what we read is different. The final results of the verification process of political parties will be decided on Jan. 9 to 13, 2013.”

Though Husni said that the KPU would comply with the decision of DKPP, he asked that all political parties accept the verification results.

 

Anastasia Winanti

http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/politics/18-political-parties-get-a-secon...