0 Political Party Mergers Illegal, Watchdog Says

An election watchdog is questioning the merger of several political parties ahead of next year’s legislative elections, saying the moves violate the law as well as internal regulations enacted by the parties involved. Said Salahuddin of the Public Synergy for Indonesian Democracy (Sigma) highlighted the growing trend of parties that fail to qualify electorally forming temporary coalitions with parties that are eligible. 

The disqualified parties offer qualified parties their vote, Said added, while in return, members of the disqualified parties are named as legislative candidates representing the host parties. “The emergence of such agreements between political parties, like the mergers that we are seeing lately, is quite questionable,” he said. “We need to question the legal basis of such a move. Such deals are not recognized by the Law on Political Parties.” 

Said argued that political parties that join another party should first be disbanded, as stipulated by Article 41 of the law. “But this is not what happens,” he said. The Law on Elections forbids a legislative candidate from having dual political party membership. The Law on Political Parties also bans an active member of one party from joining another without first resigning from the original party. 

Last month, the United Development Party (PPP), one of 10 parties qualified to run in the election, announced that it was merging with the Ulema National Awakening Party (PKNU). PPP secretary general Romahurmuzy said the merger was temporary, adding that the PKNU “will still exist as a political party. The alliance is just on the individual level.” The PPP is also forming a coalition with the Crescent Star Party (PBB), another Islam-based party that last secured a parliamentary seat in 2004 and failed to qualify for the next election. 

The National Mandate Party (PAN), another party that qualified for next year’s election, has also agreed to form a coalition with three smaller parties, the Star Reform Party (PBR), the Democratic Renewal Party (PDP) and the National Sun Party (PMB). One election contestant, the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura), denied that it was violating the law when it absorbed the Sovereignty Party into its ranks, saying members of the latter had officially been named as Hanura members. 

“All Hanura legislative candidates do not have dual memberships. The KPU will reject the merger if it is illegal,” Hanura lawmaker Saleh Husin said, referring to the General Elections Commission.

source : the jakarta globe