Jakarta, Sandy Indra Pratama – Aceh Governor Irwandi Yusuf has said that the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) will set up a local party. However, according to Irwandi, GAM has not yet decided either the name or the form of the party.

"The local party to be set up by GAM only awaits the declaration," he said on Friday 23/3) when visiting the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) office, Jakarta.

According to Irwandi, despite the government having issued a government regulation on setting up local parties in Aceh, so far there has not been any party that has registered as a local party in Aceh. "None," he said.

On Tuesday (20/3), State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra told reporters that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on March 16 issued Government Regulation No. 20/2007 on Local Political Parties in Aceh.

The provision for setting up local political parties is retroactive to February 15.

The Government Regulation, said Yusril, regulates the requirements, registration, disbanding and coalition of local political parties in Aceh. "The provisions are the same as for national parties, but only valid in Aceh," he said.

What is special about the regulation is that local party members are allowed to concurrently hold posts as national political party members.

This dual membership is used when the respective persons run for election as House of Representatives members. The dual membership must be approved by the local party's leaders.

Local political parties are also eligible to affiliate with other local political parties or national political parties as regards pairing candidates for governor and deputy governor, regent and deputy regent as also mayor and deputy mayor.

Irwandi did not dispute that later there will be a lot of local parties set up as a consequence of democracy. "The ideal number of parties would be three or four," he said.