Arientha Primanita – A new political party bent on putting former Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati forward for the presidency in 2014 officially registered itself with the Justice and Human Rights Ministry on Wednesday.
"Our purpose is for us to be able to join the 2014 general elections," said Damianus Taufan, chairman of the new party, known as the Independent People's Union (SRI). "If we pass the verification process, then we can propose our own [presidential] candidate, that being Sri Mulyani."
More than 100 party members arrived at the ministry to register on Wednesday, waving orange flags bearing Sri Mulyani's face and a stylized hand holding a sapu lidi, a broom made of the stiff midribs of coconut leaves, which is said to symbolize the party's aim of cleaning up the country's politics.
Damianus said the party was established on May 2 with Sri Mulyani as its "central aspiration" and based on the Indonesian People's Solidarity for Justice (SMI-Keadilan) movement.
"We didn't make a special approach toward Ibu Sri about this party, but she knows about our activities and the establishment of the party," he said. "Hopefully, when she finishes her contract with the World Bank, she will join us."
Taking part in the registration were several public figures, including Arbi Sanit, a political analyst from the University of Indonesia; Fikri Jufri, a veteran journalist; Todung Mulya Lubis, a human rights lawyer; and Rocky Gerung, a University of Indonesia philosophy lecturer.
Arbi said he felt obliged to violate a personal pledge never to join a political party because he firmly believed Sri Mulyani would be the best person to lead the country.
"All this time, I have always said that my principle was not to join any party," he told the Jakarta Globe. "But it is because of this party that I have sacrificed that principle."
Sri Mulyani holds a degree in economics from the University of Indonesia and has a master's degree and doctorate in economics from the University of Illinois.
The 59-year-old has served as a consultant with the US Agency for International Development and an executive director at the International Monetary Fund before she joined President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's first cabinet as finance minister in 2005. She became coordinating minister for the economy in 2008 but resigned in 2010 to join the World Bank as managing director.
Sri Mulyani has built herself a reputation for being an ardent reformist and administrator of the highest integrity.
She left for the World Bank shortly after she came under attack from lawmakers, particularly from the Golkar Party, who accused her of breaking the law when she approved the bailout of Bank Century in 2008.
Damianus said he was optimistic the party would be successfully registered, saying it already had 2,000 members and the required representation in all 33 provinces across the country.
Sucipto, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry, said that the verification process would be carried out by teams from the Directorate General for General Legal Administration. "All the verification procedures will be based the Electoral Law," he said.
Sucipto said SRI was the ninth party to be registered with the ministry since the 2011 Electoral Law was passed earlier this year. Other new parties include the NasDem Party, National Republican Party and National United Party.