Campaigners trample on rules, Singgih says

Campaigners trample on rules, Singgih says

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and
the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) all breached election rules
during the early days of campaigning, Election Supervision
Committee Chairman Singgih said Saturday.

Violations of traffic laws and violence against rival
contestants were the most common offenses, Singgih told
journalists.

The election campaign started last Sunday and ends May 23. The
country will "cool off" for five days before eligible voters cast
their ballots on May 29.

"None of the violations can be categorized as subversion," he
said. Subversion is one of the most serious offenses under
Indonesian law. It carries a maximum penalty of death.

In its campaign in the capital yesterday, Golkar continued to
pour supporters onto the streets. Thousands held motorcades to
and from campaign grounds.

Yesterday's street rallies were not as huge as those on
Wednesday when they jammed major streets throughout the capital.

Singgih also noted the removal of party flags and banners, and
physical clashes among rival party supporters as very common
violations.

He said motorcades had been the most difficult violation to
control although leaders of the contesting parties and the
government had agreed to ban them.

Singgih is scheduled to disclose details of the violations in
the first two rounds (six days) before General Elections
Committee officials and the three political contestants tomorrow.

In a related development, Golkar chairman Harmoko proposed
yesterday that leaders of the three political parties meet and
discuss how to minimize rules violations.

Speaking in Lamongan, East Java, Harmoko suggested the
National Elections Committee, which oversees the electoral
process, sponsor such a meeting.

He said he believed the various breaches of the law occurred
because party supporters did not understand the rules and had
failed to maintain a peaceful climate.

"This meeting would evaluate the campaigns and dispel any
suspicions or misunderstandings," he said.

Asked about the PPP's campaign boycott in Jakarta and
Yogyakarta, Singgih said the party had the right to decide what
to do but he noted that the party should inform the election
committee if it planned not to campaign.

Singgih also called on all the contestants to inform the
authorities of all their campaign plans.

"This is not meant to limit any contestant's movements. It
will just be helpful for security officers to make the necessary
security arrangements for the good of everyone," he said.

Speaking about the attack on two PPP offices in Yogyakarta
Wednesday, Singgih said he had ordered the local police to
conduct a thorough investigation into the incident.

Singgih, who is also the attorney general, promised the
authorities would be impartial in handling disputes between the
election contenders.

"We have reprimanded Golkar, the PDI and the PPP without
exception," he said.

Asked about who would be held responsible when members or
supporters of a contestant violated regulations, Singgih said it
was the local campaign organizer.

"We have, therefore, asked each party's leaders to improve
their security task forces," he said.

Meanwhile, the head of the Jakarta office of the Election
Supervision Committee, Fachri Qasim, said the three contestants
had agreed in a meeting Friday evening that they would continue
their campaigning.

"They admitted in the meeting that they had violated the
regulations to some extent, especially concerning convoys of
vehicles.

"They also agreed to cooperate to find a solution to any new
problems," he told reporters. (imn/mds)