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.