Presidential candidates busy countering smear campaigns<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, Jakarta<\/p>\n
With all the challenges ahead for the new president of a nation
\nstill in the doldrums, sometimes it seems the candidates are
\nwasting too much energy in refuting what many might consider
\npointless issues.<\/p>\n
Retired general Wiranto has appropriately explained as best as
\nhe possibly can his side of serious allegations of human rights
\nabuses leveled against him. But should Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
\nanother retired general, bother to respond to the rumors that he
\nis anti-Muslim?<\/p>\n
Yes -- if one understands the importance of religion as a
\ncampaign issue here, not unlike the electorate of the United
\nStates.<\/p>\n
Hence the explanation of Susilo's camp of the religious
\ncomposition of the new legislators of the Democrat Party which
\nnominated him as their presidential candidate -- it turned out
\nthat the 57 legislators were mostly Muslim, not non-Muslim as
\nrumored through the recent text messages. At last, one aspiring
\nvoter for Susilo shifted preference to another candidate, even
\nthough she had been told that the SMS was not true.<\/p>\n
\"Just to be on the safe side,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Sociologist Daniel Sparringa said that such issues, used to
\ndiscredit candidates ahead of the country's first ever direct
\npresidential election on July 5, would lead to \"unnecessary
\nideological debates\".<\/p>\n
Daniel of the Surabaya-based Airlangga University said that
\nanyone exploiting issues such as race and religion in campaigning
\nhas committed two mistakes.<\/p>\n
First, spreading misinformation about candidates violates the
\nlaw because it spreads false information aimed to discredit other
\ncontestants. And exploiting such issues could spark racist
\nsentiments or feelings against other societal groups, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We must not ignite such sensitive issues that will lead to
\nmore serious problems,\" Daniel told The Jakarta Post recently.<\/p>\n
As the end of the campaign period approaches on July 1, the
\nfive presidential candidates have each had a good share of what
\nthey saw as smear campaigns. Apart from negative campaigning from
\nother contestants, text messages, e-mails, facsimiles and VCDs
\ncontained what they saw as libel.<\/p>\n
The camp of candidate Amien Rais is also busy denying reports,
\nthat if elected president, he would ban the traditional practices
\nof mass prayer gatherings, often held for the dead, for instance
\n(tahlilan) or, recently, in support of presidential candidates
\n(istighosah). Such events are often held by members of the
\ncountry's largest Muslim organization, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU),
\nwhile Amien is the former chair of the second largest Muslim
\norganization, Muhammadiyah. The latter is seen as having a
\n\"modernist\" interpretation of Islam, and attempts to sift out any
\ntraditions that go against the basic teachings of Islam. NU is
\nknown for having more tolerance toward traditions.<\/p>\n
Political analyst Ikrar Nusa Bhakti suggested that the
\npresidential candidates respond rationally to smear campaigns.<\/p>\n
\"Overreaction to smear campaigns without providing a clear
\nexplanation will only spark further controversy, meaning that it
\nwill pose more problems and disadvantages for a candidate,\" he
\nsaid. He hailed the way Susilo's team countered allegations that
\nhis Democratic Party accommodated the interests of non-Muslims
\ntoo much.<\/p>\n
\"By releasing concrete data on the religious background of the
\nparty's elected House legislators, the rumors will be quelled,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Although smear campaigns violate the law, Ikrar, however, does
\nnot recommend that the candidates concerned take legal action.<\/p>\n
\"This will be time consuming and counter-productive to their
\ncampaign activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said negative campaigning was not only legitimate but also
\nnecessary to provide voters with the other side of the
\npresidential candidates.<\/p>\n
\"Voters need to know everything about the candidates they are
\nvoting for. Negative campaigns could balance the claims made by
\nthe candidates to woo support during their campaigns,\" Ikrar
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Law No. 23\/2003 on presidential election<\/p>\n
Article 23<\/p>\n
- Paragraph 2: Campaigning must not involve acts that insult an
\nindividual, religion, ethnic group, race, group or candidate.<\/p>\n
- Paragraph 3: Campaigning must not aim at insulting or provoking
\nindividuals and\/or groups within the society.<\/p>",
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