Desy Nurhayati and Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – The 2009 legislative election will see 34 political parties vying for seats in the House of Representatives, after the General Elections Commission (KPU) passed 18 new parties after less than a month of factual verification.
Old faces will feature in next year's election, including former Indonesian Military commander Gen. (ret) Wiranto with his Hanura Party, Roy Janis with his Democratic Reform Party, Oesman Sapta with his Regional Unity Party and Yapto Soerjosumarsono with his Patriot Party.
Only 24 parties contested the election in 2004, down from 48 in the country's first democratic election in 1999.
Sixteen established parties automatically qualified for the election without verification as they already hold seats in the House, according to the new election law.
The 16 parties are the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the United Development Party (PPP), the Democratic Party, the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Star Reform Party (PBR), the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS), the Crescent Star Party (PBB), the National Democratic United Party, the Pioneers' Party, the National Concerned Workers' Party, the Marhaenism Indonesian National Party, the Justice and United Indonesian Party and the Indonesian Democracy Upholders Party.
Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) member Wahidah Suaib said it was unfortunate the KPU had failed to simplify the political party system, which constitutes the spirit of the election law. She said the number of parties contesting the 2009 polls would have fallen if the KPU had followed the regulations.
"If the KPU strictly enforced the rules, many more parties would not have made it to the election," she said. "Many parties, for example, could not prove their real popular support in the form of their members' ID cards, but the KPU overlooked this."
Before the announcement of the parties eligible to run in the election, at least 10 members of the police bomb squad (Gegana) swept the KPU building and its surroundings for explosive devices while dozens of police officers guarded the front door and the building area.
Everyone – including hundreds of journalists and party supporters – were asked to wait outside the building during the security process. Police also thoroughly checked all those wanting to enter the building.
Under the 2008 law on the legislative election, each party must have at least 50 members with chapters in at least 60 percent of the country's 33 provinces and branches in half of the 500 regencies.
The law also obliges parties to allocate 30 percent of their central board executive seats to women, and they must have at least 1,000 citizens as members.
About 174 million people will be eligible to vote in the legislative election, scheduled for April 9, 2009, but the KPU expects only 70 percent of them to turn out.
The campaign period will run from July 12 to April 5 next year and is divided into two stages. The first stage, from July 12 to March 17, is dedicated to indoor rallies, whereas the second phase, from March 18 to April 5, allows outdoor rallies.
The government has allocated Rp 6.667 trillion to fund the 2009 elections.
New political parties qualifying for 2009 election
- People's Conscience Party (Hanura), Leader: Wiranto
- National People's Concern Party (PPRN), Leader: Amelia Yani
- Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Leader: Suhardi
- Indonesian Youth Party (PPI), Leader: Hasanuddin Yusuf
- National Sun Party (PMB), Leader: Imam Addaruqutni
- Democratic Reform Party (PDP), Leader: Roy Janis
- Indonesian National Populist Fortress Party (PNBKI), Leader: Eros Djarot
- Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU), Leader: Choirul Anam
- National Front Party (Barnas), Leader: Roy Sembel
- Archipelago Republic Party (PRN), Leader: Lt. Gen. (ret) Syahrir
- Sovereignty Party, Leader: Ibrahim Basrah
- Indonesian Democratic Party of Devotion (PKDI), Leader: Stefanus Roy Rening
- Prosperous Indonesia Party (PIS), Leader: Budiyanto Darmastono
- Functional Party of Struggle (PKP), Leader: Jackson Andre William
- Patriot Party, Leader: Yapto S. Soerjosumarsono
- Regional Unity Party (PPD), Leader: Oesman Sapta
- Indonesian Workers and Employers Party (PPPI), Leader: Daniel Hutapea
- New Indonesia Party of Struggle (PIBP), Leader: Nurmala Kartini Sjahrir