Jakarta – A legislative working group recently finalized revisions to the 2008 Political Parties Law. Financial requirements will be eased, but parties will need more members across the nation before gaining official recognition.
The working group, comprised of House of Representatives legislators and government officials, met in Karawaci, Tangerang, to finalize the proposed amendments.
A proposal requiring a new political party to hold a bank account with a minimum balance of Rp 100 million (US$11,100) to Rp 5 billion was shot down at the meeting. Legislators from several party factions opposed the financial requirement, arguing that the Constitution allowed anyone to build a political party.
Under the consensus forged at the meeting, tyro parties would have to have a bank account. "We have agreed on all points in the revision of the law, including that a new political party only need to provide a bank account with no minimum balance," working committee head Abdul Hakim Naja said.
Abdul, a politician from the National Mandate Party (PAN), said the draft bill would be brought to a meeting with Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi and Justice and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar on Monday.
Ganjar Pranowo, a deputy chairman of the House Commission on political affairs, said that the amended bill would ensure that new parties would be run professionally, and specify criteria for improving membership.
The proposed bill will stipulate that a new political party must have 30 members. Previously, a party needed only 50 followers nationally to gain formal recognition.
"[New political parties] should also have offices, which will serve as branches, in 75 percent of the cities and half of the districts in the country," Ganjar said, adding that the law would stipulate that the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) audit parties' finances.
He said that each political party under the new law should develop political education for its members on basic national principles, such as the national ideology of Pancasila and the national motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).
In the spirit of increasing professionalism, the proposed amendments require that each party provide a mechanism to settle internal disputes. Members will be allowed to bring disputes to regular courts if a party fails to resolve complaints in 60 days.
Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) researcher Burhanuddin Muhtadi said that the country could not limit the number of new political parties. "However, the number of factions in the legislature should be limited as the existing condition with nine factions has been proven to hamper the effectiveness of the government," he said.
Legislators previously stated that they would amend the election bill to reduce the number of legislative factions, potentially by increasing the parliamentary threshold from 2.5 percent to 5 percent. The bill is expected to foster strong debate and will be considered by the House next year. (rch)