Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Political parties are at odds over new political bills proposed by the government ahead of the 2009 general elections, with minority parties warning of political instability during the elections if the bills are passed in their current form.
Politicians were involved in a heated debate on the bills Wednesday, during a consultation forum organized by the Home Ministry with major and minority parties. The bills cover political parties, general elections and presidential elections.
Major parties have hailed the tough new bills as a way to improve the quality of democracy and general elections. Minority parties, however, have warned the bills will prevent smaller parties from taking part in elections. These parties say the bills violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of association.
The bill on political parties, which has yet to be submitted to the House of Representatives for deliberation, would require all parties to have their own constitution. Under the bill, parties would also have to be established by at least 100 politicians, set aside at least 30 percent of their executive positions for women, have at least Rp 5 billion in their bank accounts, have chapters in 66 percent of the country's 33 provinces, in 75 percent of Indonesia's 440 regencies and municipalities and in 50 percent of all districts. Unlike the 2003 law on political parties, the bill would allow parties to run businesses.
The bill on general elections imposes tougher restrictions on parties wishing to contest polls. The new bill stipulates a 5 percent electoral threshold for political parties to contest the 2014 legislative elections and a 20 percent threshold for the 2014 presidential election.
According to the 2003 law on general elections, parties must have chapters in all provinces and in 75 percent of regencies and municipalities to be eligible for the 2009 elections.
The new bill bars all poll contestants from involving underage children and village heads in campaigning, and carries harsher sanctions for parties violating the elections law.
Under the bill on presidential elections, presidential candidates will be required to have at least a bachelor's degree. The 2003 law on presidential elections only requires candidates to be at least high school graduates.
Andi Matalatta, chairman of the Golkar Party faction in the House, said his party would support the bills, which he said would improve the quality of the country's democracy and produce a more professional government and legislature.
He also praised the political party bill for allowing parties to be involved in business, saying such involvement had to be regulated to avoid abuses of power and corruption and collusion.
"We should not be hypocritical. It is better than promoting party members in state-owned companies to seek funding for their party," he said.
Crescent Star Party secretary-general, Yasser Ardi, however, condemned the bills as curtailing minority parties and preventing them from channeling their supporters' political aspirations.
Yasser and other politicians from minority parties warned the bills would spark strong opposition from small parties and cause a national debate that could disrupt political stability before and after the 2009 elections.
"Now is not the appropriate time to impose tighter requirements on political parties and general elections," he said, adding whether political parties were eligible or not to contest the 2009 elections should be decided solely by the people.