The Justice and Human Rights Ministry's team tasked to ascertain whether political parties are eligible to contest next April's general election has been accused of taking bribes.
At least 34 new political parties, including 12 that have passed the ministerial team's screening process, on Wednesday reported the alleged graft to the Jakarta Police.
Coordinator of the National Unity Front Agus Miftach, who represents the 34 political parties, said the bribery allegations were based on statements from parties that had undergone the screening process.
"Verification is a sacred process in democracy. We have reported the bribery allegations to the police, who are expected to take the initiative in investigating it," he was quoted as saying by state news agency Antara.
Among the 12 political parties that passed the screening process were the Marhaen National Unity Party, Mutual Help Party, Republican Party and Reformation Party.
Those that failed to make the grade included the Indonesian National Alliance Party, United Indonesian Nationalist Party and People's Sovereignty Party.
In its report to police, the National Unity Front named four officials involved in the alleged corruption: Justice and Human Rights Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, screening team chairman Ramli Hutabarat, and two officials responsible for party registration and screening, Witjipto and Cahyono.
Indonesia's last general election in June 1999 was contested by 48 political parties. The number in the 2004 election could be much higher or lower, depending on how many of 112 parties manage to pass stringent entry requirements.
Parties must first go through two screening processes conducted by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry, and must then be approved by the General Elections Commission (KPU).
The initial screening process determines whether a party meets various administrative requirements at the central board level, including whether it has a secretariat and a legitimate organizational structure.
If a party passes the preliminary screening, the ministry then checks whether the party's provincial branches and regional chapters meet administrative requirements. Once it passes the two screenings, a party becomes a legal entity, enabling it to register with the KPU for final screening.
Miftach said the bribes paid to the ministerial team depended on the level of the administration being screened: district/municipal – Rp1 million to Rp2 million ($235); provincial – Rp5 million to Rp15 million; and central government – Rp5 million to Rp50 million.
"We would therefore like to call on the police to summon the four people for interrogation," he said. The KPU should halt the screening/registration process pending a full police investigation, he added.
The registration period opened on July 9 and is due to close on October 9, but the Justice Ministry has requested the KPU extend the deadline.