Comedians and starlets to kick off campaign
JAKARTA (JP): Political parties contesting the June 7 elections kick off the campaign period on Wednesday, with some of them using the charms of Indonesian starlets to lure voters, while others are pledging modest rallies.
"Our party will feature, apart from party members, renowned artists such as comedian Tjahyono and the TV film starlet popularly known as Miss Meong, Rieke Dyah Pitaloka," National Awakening Party (PKB) chairman Matori Abdul Djalil said on Tuesday.
Other artists to take part in the PKB campaign will include singers Endang S Taurina, Hetty Koes Endang and movie actors Muni Cader and Fuad.
PKB chief patron Abdurrahman Wahid, better known as Gus Dur, will travel to Banda Aceh in the troubled province of Aceh, Sumatra, on Wednesday, Matori said.
Abdurrahman is scheduled to visit Medan, the capital of North Sumatra on Thursday before returning here on Friday.
Matori himself will start campaigning in Yogyakarta on May 20. He is set to visit the West Java capital of Bandung on May 25 returning to Jakarta on May 26.
Abdurrahman, chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, the 35 million- strong Muslim organization, has expressed a wish to appear in a joint campaign with chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) Megawati Soekarnoputri.
"Up until today we haven't set a schedule for the two leaders to have a joint campaign," said Matori.
Another Muslim-based party, the United Development Party (PPP), will also feature actresses when it holds an election rally in Palembang, South Sumatra. Film stars Ayu Azhari and Mieke Wijaya will accompany PPP chairman Hamzah Haz there.
National Mandate Party (PAN) chairman Amien Rais is set to take a rest after attending party gatherings in the West Java towns of Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bandung on Tuesday.
"Pak Amien left right after the signing of the joint communique with Megawati and Abdurrahman in the early hours of Tuesday," said PAN secretary-general Faisal Basri.
Further details of the campaign are yet to be made available and will be discussed on May 22, a PAN staff member said.
There are no details of campaign schedules of PDI Perjuangan chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri and chairman of the ruling party Golkar, Akbar Tandjung, for Wednesday.
The Crescent Star Party (PBB) pledges to hold a modest campaign. "Well, we are such a serious party that we're not going to educate people with performing comedians," M.S. Kaban, PBB's secretary-general, said.
PBB chairman Yusril Ihza Mahendra is scheduled to campaign in Yogyakarta on Wednesday. "Yusril will visit Aceh on June 1 along with the popular musician group Bimbo," Kaban said.
Chairman of the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) Edi Sudrajat will start his campaign in Bogor and Bandung, West Java.
"PKP will have a smart, voter-education crusade rather than a dangdut campaign," PKP's Sutradara Gintings, said. (edt/aan)