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)