Panwaslu accuses PDI-P of polls offense<\/p>\n
Suherdjoko and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post,
\nSurakarta\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) has joined
\nthe list of major parties facing allegations of early
\ncampaigning, after the Surakarta Regional Elections Supervisory
\nCommittee (Panwasda) reported it to the police.<\/p>\n
Surakarta's Panwasda chairman Nyuwardi said the PDI-P had
\ncommitted at least six violations during its anniversary parade
\nacross the Central Java town of Surakarta on Sunday, including
\npromoting the party's programs, inviting non-members to
\nparticipate and placing the party's symbols and flags in public
\nplaces.<\/p>\n
The town turned red on Sunday as thousands of supporters of
\nthe ruling party marched to celebrate the PDI-P's 31st
\nanniversary. They also unfurled a banner which read \"Megawati for
\npresident\".<\/p>\n
Nyuwardi said that in its notification letter to the committee
\nprior to the event, the party had promised not to place flags and
\ninvolve non-members.<\/p>\n
\"It turned out that the party's flags were waved all over the
\ntown and young children, who cannot be party members, were seen
\namong the crowd wearing the party's T-shirts,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said he would submit evidence such as photographs, T-shirts
\nand a video record of the event to the police.<\/p>\n
Central Java's Panwasda chief Nur Hidayat Sardini said
\nelections supervisory committees in Batang, Semarang, Banjar and
\nKlaten were also considering moves against the PDI-P for alleged
\nviolations of the election regulations.<\/p>\n
\"We are waiting for their decisions, but so far only Surakarta
\nhas decided to file a report with the police,\" Nur Hidayat told
\nThe Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Last week Panwasda office in the West Java town of Bekasi
\nreported the party to the police for alleged violations of the
\nelection law.<\/p>\n
Jakarta's Panwasda office filed a report with the police
\nagainst the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United
\nDevelopment Party (PPP) on charges of early campaigning when they
\nheld a parade to celebrate their respective anniversary
\ncelebrations earlier this month.<\/p>\n
Indonesia's election laws are not specific about the
\nconditions for early campaigning, providing parties with
\nloopholes they can exploit. The National Elections Supervisory
\nCommittee (Panwaslu) has admitted the issue was a grey area and
\nproposed revisions to the election regulations of the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) in a bid to prevent different
\ninterpretations of the rules.<\/p>\n
PDI-P deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said the march on
\nSunday could not be categorized as early campaigning because of
\nthe absence of political speech.<\/p>\n
\"They were holding a street parade, there was no speech at
\nall. For us, that cannot be considered as a violation of the
\nelection regulations,\" Pramono said.<\/p>\n
Another PDI-P figure Taufik Kiemas said Panwaslu had to
\nclearly spell out what regulations which had been violated during
\nthe parade.<\/p>\n
\"If we did violate the regulations then we are sorry, but if
\nwe didn't -- then thank God,\" Taufik said after accompanying his
\nwife President Megawati in the Archipelago Day commemoration in
\nCilegon, West Java.<\/p>\n
Surakarta Panwasda official Imron Rosyid told the Post the
\noffice filed a report to the police in a bid to make political
\nparties aware they had to be more careful when holding mass
\nevents before elections.<\/p>\n
\"Maybe we cannot prove them wrong, but let the legal process
\ntake its course,\" Imron said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/panwaslu-accuses-pdi-p-of-polls-offense-1447893297",
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