T

he General Elections Commission (KPU) deserves a thumbs-up for its courage to uphold the rules of the game for the 12 political parties contesting the 2014 legislative election. Law No. 8/2010 on elections clearly requires the parties to meet the 30 percent quota for female candidates, therefore the disqualification of eight parties in several electoral districts for their failure to do so is a bold move that we support.

The law, in fact, does not stop there. To boost women's chances of winning legislative seats, the law stipulates that in every row of three candidates on the list, one of them must be a woman, in case the winners are selected by numerical order as a consequence of the open-list system adopted by the law.

The House of Representatives lawmakers who endorsed the law, mostly from political parties that have qualified for the 2014 election, envisioned a democratic policy making process that promoted women's participation. Unlike in the past, when the 30 percent quota for female candidates was not binding, the present law recognizes the crucial role of women in politics.

Such a spirit is obviously shared among the parties, as evinced in their approval of the law three years ago, but the fact that only four of them managed to fulfill the quota requirement for women should give us cause for concern.

The KPU said on Monday that only the Democratic Party, the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and newcomer the NasDem Party would be eligible to contest the polls in all electoral districts. The commission rejected lists of candidates submitted by the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerindra) Party, the People's Conscience (Hanura) Party, the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI) in certain electoral districts for failure to comply with the 30 percent threshold for women candidates.

The first four are part of the ruling coalition and the last two only qualified for the election next year after winning a court battle.

The KPU may face yet another dispute in court, which may last long and distract its preparation for the five-yearly democratic event, if the eight parties fight for their right to contest the election in all electoral districts.

Nevertheless, the KPU ruling, which is legitimate albeit controversial, teaches party elites a lesson about commitment to women empowerment in politics.

Technical errors, which may look trivial, such as the failure to show overseas diplomas, as in the case of a woman legislative candidate from the PAN, imply that the commitment is lacking.

Political parties had ample time to take in the new Election Law and select their candidates in accordance with the legislation, in particular the threshold for female candidates.

The disqualification of eight parties in certain electoral districts is a consequence of their negligence, if not their distrust in women.