Govt defends campaign rules<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government is refusing to revise the
\nelection campaign rules despite complaints from the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP).<\/p>\n
\"It is not possible to revise the rules as they are a
\ncompilation of the aspirations of all elements in society,
\nincluding the PPP itself,\" Director General of Social and
\nPolitical Affairs Sutoyo N.K. said yesterday.<\/p>\n
He said the PPP should not have questioned the rules as the
\nMoslem-oriented party and the other two political contestants --
\nGolkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- were involved
\nin the drafting of the election campaign rules.<\/p>\n
In a statement released Sunday, the PPP said some election
\ncampaign guidelines did not comply with higher laws, restricted
\npublic participation, offended the essence of campaigning and
\nadversely affected all political groups, especially the PPP.<\/p>\n
The party also objected to the government's decision to
\nappoint \"neutral\" experts to vet radio and television campaign
\nmessages.<\/p>\n
Sutoyo defended the vetting policy, saying \"it's only an
\nadministrative matter. The political contestants themselves will
\npropose the campaign moderators. We only issue endorsements.\"<\/p>\n
The Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights,
\nMunawir Sjadzali, said yesterday the commission had yet to
\ndetermine whether the election campaign rules violated human
\nrights.<\/p>\n
\"It is only the anxiety of the PPP over allegedly unfair
\nrules. The rights commission will conduct an investigation only
\nwhen we have indications of rights violations,\" he said.<\/p>\n
PPP Secretary-General Tosari Wijaya said yesterday the party
\nwould continue to demand that Minister of Home Affairs Moch.
\nYogie S.M. and National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo revise
\nthe campaign rules.<\/p>\n
\"The government can say the rules are already fixed, but it is
\nnot wrong to improve them where necessary. Otherwise, the rules
\ncan be compromised illegally,\" Tosari said.<\/p>\n
\"If unlawful compromises are tolerated, what will regulations
\nmean then?\" he added.<\/p>\n
Tosari denied recent reports that the PPP had approved the
\ncampaign rules.<\/p>\n
He had said earlier the rules breached the initial agreement
\nreached among the three political groups and the government in a
\nseries of discussions with the National Security and Defense
\nCouncil. (imn\/amd)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-defends-campaign-rules-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}