Political Parties Trained in Campaign Finance, Fundraising

May 30, 2003

IRI helped one of Indonesia's major political parties prepare for next year's parliamentary election by training its members on the nuances of campaign finance and fundraising. A recent seminar for the Democratic Party of Indonesia - Struggle (PDI-P) - one of six major political parties in Indonesia's parliamentary coalition government and the party of President Megawati - drew 198 participants representing all but two municipalities (called 'kabupatens') in the PDI-P's provincial branch. The May 25 program in Surabaya helped party leaders, provincial legislators and city officials better understand Indonesia's new election law. Many of the party representatives, for example, were unaware that parties were now legally required to maintain separate party and campaign bank accounts.

The trainers - Tom Garrett, Yudhi Juniarsyah and Desi Indrimayutri of IRI's Indonesia office - shared fundraising tactics with the party officials. Another topic was a recent IRI-sponsored opinion poll about individual giving to political campaigns. IRI plans to conduct similar seminars as part of an ongoing program to train leading political parties in Indonesia.

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