Major parties violate election campaign rules<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Major parties have committed gross violations of
\nelection campaign rules, official supervisory organizations and
\nindependent watchdogs reported on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The parties most often cited in the reports were the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the
\nGolkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).<\/p>\n
The most common violations reported included insulting rival
\nparties, removal of party banners, offering rewards to potential
\nvoters, carrying weapons and unruly street rallies endangering
\nlives and disrupting traffic.<\/p>\n
In Semarang, the Central Java Election Supervisory Committee
\nissued strong warnings to PDI Perjuangan, Golkar, PPP, PKB and
\nPAN for violating electoral laws during their first round of
\ncampaigning.<\/p>\n
The committee's deputy chief, Novel Ali, promised on Saturday
\n\"harsh punishment\" if the parties' leaders failed to discipline
\ntheir supporters.<\/p>\n
The committee put PKB at the top of the list of most rowdy
\nparties. Its supporters organized illegal street rallies, clashed
\nwith PDI Perjuangan and PPP supporters and carried weapons.<\/p>\n
In Surabaya, a ban from campaigning slapped on PDI Perjuangan
\nby the provincial committee went unheeded on Saturday. Thousands
\nof its supporters took to the streets and turned the city into a
\nsea of red, the party's color.<\/p>\n
The party topped the list of worst offenders with 47
\nviolations. PKB followed in second place with 18 cases, while PBB
\nwas applauded for committing only one offense.<\/p>\n
\"We don't need to heed the ban as long as they (the committee)
\ndoes not have hard evidence,\" said Soetikno, chairman of the
\nSurabaya PDI Perjuangan chapter.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the University Network for Free and Fair Elections
\n(Unfrel) reported that Golkar had committed money politics in
\nthree subdistricts in Langkat, North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
Destanul Aulia, who coordinates Unfrel activities in North
\nSumatra, said Golkar officials offered 16 dozen T-shirts, 225
\nbooks on Islam and 48 prayer mats to poor Muslim families.<\/p>\n
The party offered free circumcision to 20 children, free
\nidentification cards and the provision of sports equipment to
\nvillagers committed to vote for Golkar next month, Antara
\nreported.<\/p>\n
Destanul said he had referred his findings to provincial
\nGolkar officials and was only told the alleged activities were
\nillegal.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Unfrel activists in Riau announced they would not go
\nto the Natuna islands and other isolated places on the grounds
\nthat their security was not guaranteed and that there were no
\nregular boats to the areas.<\/p>\n
They claimed that on a trial run visit to several isolated
\nislands on May 20 they were intimidated by locals, security
\nofficers and government officials.<\/p>\n
The area with the most violations of scheduled campaign
\nvenues is Greater Jakarta, according to the Independent Election
\nMonitoring Committee (KIPP).<\/p>\n
Yoppie Renyaan, chief of the Jakarta KIPP presidium, said 20
\ncases occurred in East Jakarta, 19 in West Jakarta, 14 in North
\nJakarta, 13 in South Jakarta, 19 in Central Jakarta, 22 in
\nTangerang, 13 in Depok and 15 in Bekasi.<\/p>\n
KIPP, which claims to have fielded 5,586 volunteers across
\nIndonesia, also recorded as widespread the practice of insulting
\nrival parties and instigating supporters to do the same.<\/p>\n
The independent committee also recorded misuse of state
\nfacilities, places of worship and that members of the military
\nand civil servants were campaigning.<\/p>\n
Also on Saturday, PDI Perjuangan announced it would look into
\na finding by the independent Network for National Election
\nMonitoring (Jappin) that one of its supporters carried a gun in a
\ncampaign. (nur\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/major-parties-violate-election-campaign-rules-1447893297",
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