Jakarta – A new political party founded by former People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais fails to qualify for the 2024 general election, which will see as many as 17 parties competing.

The General Election Commission, or KPU, announced on Wednesday the 17 political parties including two debutants that will participate in the election but there was no mention of Amien's Ummat Party.

The KPU plenary session in Jakarta concluded that the "factual verification" shows that the party has failed to achieve the minimum membership in North Sumatra and East Nusa Tenggara, both are predominantly Christian provinces.

Amien, an American-educated lecturer of political science and the former chairman of major Muslim group Muhammadiyah, has been a central figure in Indonesian politics since the final years of long-serving President Soeharto.

He was widely credited for the national movement that led to Soeharto's downfall in 1998 before becoming the speaker of the country's highest lawmaking body which under his leadership launched major reforms including the separation of the military and civilian functions and the adoption of a presidential term limit in the Constitution.

Dubbed as the kingmaker for his influential role that enabled Abdurrahman Wahid to become president in 1999 only to be impeached and replaced by Megawati Soekarnoputri nearly two years later, Amien failed in his own presidential bid in the country's first-ever presidential election in 2004.

Since President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, Amien has become a staunch opponent of the government. Prior to the 2019 presidential election, he described the coalition supporting Prabowo Subianto as the parties of Allah fighting against satanic parties in the Joko Widodo camp.

During Wednesday's plenary, Ummat Party Deputy Chairman Nazaruddin immediately filed an objection form and handed it directly to KPU Head Hasyim Asyari.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Nazaruddin claimed that KPU's factual verification results were different from Ummat Party's documents, accusing election officials of data manipulation.

"We have data indicating manipulative acts – our members have been registered with other parties," Nazaruddin said without going into details.

The plenary session also determined the numerical order by allowing incumbents to retain their previous numbers or by drawing with other parties.

Here is the list of 17 parties for the 2024 elections in the numerical sequence stipulated by the KPU:

1. National Awakening Party (PKB)
2. Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra)
3. Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)
4. Golkar Party
5. National Democratic Party (Nasdem)
6. Labor Party
7. Indonesian People's Wave Party (Gelora)
8. Social Justice Party (PKS)
9. Nusantara Awakening Party (PKN)
10. People's Conscience Party (Hanura)
11. Garuda Party
12. National Mandate Party (PAN)
13. Crescent Star Party (PBB)
14. Democratic Party
15. Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI)
16. United Indonesia Party (Perindo)
17. United Development Party (PPP)

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/amien-rais-party-cant-make-it-to-2024-general-electio