Controversy is growing over the draft bill on presidential elections in relation to an article that stipulates that only parties or coalitions of parties garnering 20% of national legislature seats will be allowed to field candidates in the country's first direct presidential election in 2004.
The ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), with 150 seats in the 500-seat parliament, seems supportive to in the draft bill proposed by Home Minister Hari Sabarno to the House of Representatives.
In addition to the minimum requirement of 20% of parliamentary seats, the draft bill also stipulates that a coalition of parties which agrees to nominate presidential and vice presidential candidates in one packet must come into being before the election for legislators and that the parties to such a coalition be legally bound and restricted by the terms of that agreement.
Golkar, the second largest party with 120 seats, is in principle agreement on the 20% clause and the formation of coalitions before the election of legislators, but do not want to see agreement on coalition to be legally binding.
The traditionalist National Awakening Party (PKB) also accepts the 20% minimum requirement, but wants to be able to build coalitions after the election for legislators.
The draft limiting presidential candidates has upset the smaller parties, and the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) has also voiced rejection of the draft.
In a hearing with the House's special committee deliberating the presidential election bill Tuesday, LIPI researcher Sjamsuddin Haris urged the House to allow all parties to nominate presidential candidates.
"All political parties contesting the elections should be allowed to nominate presidential candidates," he said. "Should there be a limitation, it should be 2%," he said, referring to the stipulation in the 1999 Election Law later replaced by the 2003 law.
Another LIPI researcher, Dewi Fortuna Anwar, the protigi of former President B.J. Habibie and active in the Habibie Center, said she was concerned to safeguard the right of small parties or independent groups to nominate candidates.
"In the first round, the candidates from small parties and independent groups will be pushed aside, but they should not be blocked from their chance to run for presidency."
Although there is public concern that the limitation on candidates is aimed at making it impossible for small parties or independent groups to nominate potential leaders, the Bill does allow nominees to be chosen from outside the ranks of the parties in any coalition, as long as the candidates are in line with policy direction.
The chance for non-political "people's candidates" remains open as long as such candidates are able to win the support of one or more of the big parties.
Smaller parties likely to be excluded from the direct presidential ballot can still serve as useful vehicles for potential candidates for high office in developing policies and building grassroots support.
Analysts say economist Dr. Sjahrir and his New Indonesian Party (Partai Perhimpunan Indonesia-PIB) and former Megawati political advisor Eros Djarot through his Bung Karno Nationalist Party (Partai Nasionalis Bung Karno-PNBK) are examples of good performers at this level.
The coalition-building process and the requirement for legally binding agreements are critical issues for some parties.
Parties with a tendency towards opportunism such as Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP), and Muslim-based parties such as the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Justice Party (PK) will find themselves frozen out of any deals under legislation in this form.
For President Megawati and her PDI-P, the requirement for a coalition of parties before the election of legislators is positive in that it aims at building strategic alliances for the long term, rather than just for the short-term interest of gaining influential positions.