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A coalition of 17 minor political parties plans to file for a judicial review of a newly passed law which it claims intends to freeze minor parties out of the 2014 legislative elections.

Didi Supriyanto, a spokesman for the National Unity Forum (FPN), said on Monday that the group would file its motion with the Constitutional Court next week, a month after the amended Law on Political Parties was passed by the House of Representatives.

He said several of the amendments aimed at tightening the requirements for parties seeking to contest elections denied smaller parties the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association.

“The House legislators intend to kill small and new parties through this law,” Didi said.

“That’s their strategy before they embark on the real war for the 2014 elections.”

He added the amended law, which among other stipulations requires new parties to have a representative office in all 33 provinces, was drawn up in such a way to end “our freedom to establish a party or have an opportunity to contest the next polls.”

However, the House has denied the law is unconstitutional or that it set out to deliberately hurt smaller parties.

In his speech on Monday to mark the reconvening of the House after its year-end recess, House Speaker Marzuki Alie said the amendments were meant to usher in “a new political culture that suits real democratic principles.”

He said the House would this year continue deliberating other bills relating to elections, including amendments to the laws on election organizers.

“We must do it quickly and pass all these bills this year,” he said.

“If not, it will disrupt preparations for the 2014 elections.”

Tommy Legowo, from the watchdog group Concerned Citizens for the Indonesian Legislature (Formappi), agreed the bills needed to be prioritized, but cautioned against rushing the amendments through without due consideration.

He said the FPN’s opposition to the political parties’ law should serve as a warning to legislators that they need to pass laws that satisfy all elements of society.

“The aspirations of all parties must be accommodated,” he said.

“The House shouldn’t just pay heed to the interests of the big parties.”

The recently passed law is the latest attempt by the House to trim the number of parties in the legislature.

Another measure currently being proposed for the amended elections law is to double the legislative threshold to 5 percent.

The threshold is the minimum share of votes a party must win in the legislative elections in order to be represented in the House.

On Monday, Democrat legislator Jafar Hafsah said his party was willing to absorb smaller parties unlikely to meet the threshold in 2014.

“The Democrat vision is for there to be only two parties in Indonesia, like in the United States,” he said.

However, Romahurmuzy, deputy secretary general of the United Development Party (PPP), said Jafar was “delirious” to raise such an idea.

“Such a statement only shows that some of the Democrat elite have failed to reach political maturity,” he said.

“It clearly shows the hidden agenda behind the proposal to double the legislative threshold.”