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Summary of government regulation on Acehnese local political parties

Aceh Kita - March 21, 2007

The central government has issued Government Regulation Number 20/2007 on Local Political Parties in Aceh. The decision was announced at the State Palace yesterday. The following is a summary by Aceh Kita’s editors of the government regulation that so many have been waiting for.

Definition of a local political party

Article 1
A local political party is a political organisation voluntarily formed by a group of Indonesian citizens that reside in Aceh based on an agreed desire and ideal of struggling for the interests of its members, the public, the nation and the state through the election of members of the Acehnese House of Representatives (DPRA), the Regional House of Representatives (DPRK), the governor and deputy governor, aas well as regents/deputy regents and mayors/deputy mayors.

Local party requirements

Article 2, Paragraph c
A local political party shall have management boards in at least 50 percent of the regencies/municipalities in Aceh and 25 percent of the sub-districts in each related regency, and pay attention to having a representation of women of at least 30 percent.

Management board

Article 7
1. A local political party’s [central] management board shall be located in the capital city of Aceh.
2. Local political parties can have management boards from the level of the village/kampung or other names.

Affiliation with national political parties

Article 10
1. A political party has the right to be affiliated with or cooperate in other forms with local political parties or national political parties.
2. Affiliation or cooperation in other forms with local political parties or national political parties shall be carried out to propose candidate tickets for the governor and deputy governor, candidate regents and deputy regents, as well as candidate mayors and deputy mayors.

Dual membership

Article 11
1. In order to open up participatory space for local political party members in national elections, local party members as individuals may hold dual membership with one of the national political parties.
2. The participatory space for local political party members as referred to in Paragraph 1 is meant in the context of local political party members being able to elect or be elected in national elections.
3. Dual membership as referred to in Paragraph 1 can take place after obtaining written permission from the local political party leadership.

Article 12, Paragraph 3, Point c
Local parties can be disbanded by a Constitutional Court decision.

Funding sources

Article 17
1. Financial assistance to a local political party shall be provided proportionally based on the number of seats the local political party gains in the DPRA and/or DPRK.
2. The size of the financial assistance to local political parties as referred to in Paragraph 1 shall not exceed the size of the assistance for national political parties.
3. Assistance as referred to in Paragraph 2 can come from the Aceh State Budget (APBA) and the Regency State Budget (ABPK).
4. More detail provisions pertaining to the size of the assistance, the procedures for its disbursement, and the procedures of liability shall be regulated in a by-law.

Supervisor

Article 18
The Department of Regional Offices in Aceh shall supervise local political parties through research and/or checks in the context of fulfilling the following requirements:
a. Administrative.
b. Substantive that covers principles, specific character, ideals, membership, the use of a name, symbol and logo, and the obligations of local political parties.

[Translated by James Balowski. Note that the acronyms DPRA, DPRK, APBA and ABPK are as they appeared in the original text.]

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