Candidates meet with supporters despite ban

Candidates meet with supporters despite ban

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Presidential candidates traveled to meet their provincial
constituents on Thursday despite a ban on activities that could
be construed as disguised campaigns during a national holiday.

Yesterday was a national holiday to observe Buddha's Day of
Enlightenment, or Waisak, and the General Elections Commission
(KPU) had declared it a campaign-free day.

According to the KPU, however, the official Election
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) might find it difficult to
determine that activities defined as campaigns are those that
involve the presentation of a candidate's vision and mission at
venues designated by the commission.

Incumbent President Megawati Soekarnoputri, nominated by the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI-P), left the capital for a state
visit to Pontianak, West Kalimantan, where she officiated at the
signing of a jurisdictional agreement between all Kalimantan
governors.

After the ceremony, Megawati and her entourage, including
Coordinating Minister for the Economy Dorodjatun Kuntjoro-Jakti
and Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, visited a city-run
hospital that was ravaged by a fire two months ago.

In the East Java town of Ponorogo, Megawati's running mate
Hasyim Muzadi held talks with leaders of renowned Islamic
boarding school Gontor.

After a closed-door meeting with school heads Abdullah Sukri
Zarkasyi, Imam Badri and Hasan Abdullah Sahal, Hasyim took to the
stage and delivered a speech before thousands of students.

Hasyim said his visit to Gontor did not constitute a campaign,
as it was a visit to his alma mater.

"As an alumni, I have an obligation to elaborate on my
political career, including my recent decision to join the
presidential race," he said.

Meanwhile, candidates of the upstart Democratic Party Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and running mate Jusuf Kalla visited the
country's easternmost province, Papua.

Upon their arrival at Sentani Airport, some 45 kilometers
outside provincial capital Jayapura, they were flooded with warm
greetings from around 1,000 supporters who had waited patiently
for hours.

After a break in the airport lounge, Susilo and Kalla
continued to northern Jayapura in a parade-like fashion,
accompanied by local residents waving and chanting along their
journey.

The two are scheduled to hold open campaigns in the province
over the next few days.

In Semarang, Central Java, supporters of Golkar Party
candidate Wiranto returned home disappointed, after a joint
meeting between provincial leaders of Golkar and the National
Awakening Party (PKB) was canceled without explanation.

Wiranto, who remained in Jakarta, was slated to attend the
meeting and another organized by Central Java clerics of the
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

His running mate Solahuddin Wahid took his place at the
clerics' meeting and spoke at length in defense of the retired
general's credentials.

The meeting was planned to take place in a plush hotel in the
city, but fears that the local Panwaslu would disperse it
prompted organizers to move the venue to the provincial NU
headquarters.

Candidates Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and
Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP) remained in the
capital, but neither were idle over the holiday.

At his official Central Jakarta residence, Amien met with
board members of the Islamic Union (Persis), said to be the third
largest Muslim organization in the country; while earlier in the
morning, Hamzah opened an exhibition held by the office of the
State Minister for the Environment.