PPP retracts support for indoor election campaign<\/p>\n
UJUNGPANDANG, South Sulawesi (JP): The United Development
\nParty (PPP) has wavered in its earlier enthusiasm for the
\nproposed Golkar-sponsored introduction of indoor discussions in
\nthe 1997 election campaign, saying it wished to maintain outdoor
\nmass rallies.<\/p>\n
\"We haven't made up our minds (whether to accept) indoor
\ndiscussions (as the sole method for electioneering),\" chairman
\nIsmail Hasan Metareum said here on Tuesday after opening a
\nmeeting of PPP chapters in eastern Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Ismail said the party supports indoor rallies, as long as the
\ntraditional outdoor mass rallies are still maintained. \"I have
\ntold President Soeharto that PPP agrees to the dialogs, but
\noutdoor rallies should not be abandoned altogether,\" he said.<\/p>\n
President Soeharto last month commissioned the National
\nCouncil for Defense and Security to come up with methods of
\ncampaigning that are less likely to lead to the security
\ndisturbances and disorderliness normally associated with outdoor
\nmass rallies.<\/p>\n
Soeharto asked the council to draft the election campaign
\nregulations in time for the campaign period which is slated for a
\nmonth beginning at the end of next April.<\/p>\n
Election campaigns in 1992 were dominated by mass rallies held
\noutdoors, sometimes involving long motorcades taking campaigners
\nand their supporters to the venues. TV ads were also employed in
\na limited way but they were not deemed effective in communicating
\nwith voters.<\/p>\n
Golkar has suggested that the mass rallies be replaced by
\nindoor discussions, allowing candidates to meet and discuss
\nvarious issues with potential voters. It stressed that these
\ngatherings would be preferable to a forum where representatives
\nof the three contestants are put in one room to debate election
\nissues before a large crowd.<\/p>\n
Ismail pointed out that such session may not be for everybody.
\n\"Only intelligent people can engage in dialogs... holding
\ndialogs with rural people will have to be done differently than
\nwhen you're holding dialogs with urban people,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"So, if we really want to reach out to our supporters, then
\nthe previous methods of campaign should still be conducted,\" he
\nsaid. (34\/swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ppp-retracts-support-for-indoor-election-campaign-1447893297",
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