Commission asked to extend campaign period to 30 days

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta

The Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Sunday to extend the length of the official campaign for the runoff election to allow more time for voters to study and be informed about the candidates' manifestos.

The KPU has allocated only three days for campaigning during the runoff election.

With over 106 million votes counted, the Susilo-Jusuf Kalla ticket leads the first-round tally with 33.58 percent of the vote, with the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi ticket in second place on 26.27 percent. Trailing behind are Wiranto with 22.2 percent of the vote, Amien Rais on 14.9 percent, and Hamzah Haz with only 3 percent of the vote.

The KPU is scheduled to announce the official results of the July 5 election on Monday.

"This is the first-ever direct presidential election in our history so the KPU has to allow the public to get as much information about the candidates as possible.

"In my view, the KPU's plan to limit the campaign to three days will only serve to restrict public participation," Cetro chairperson Smita Notosusanto said during a press conference at Cetro's offices on Sunday.

Also attending the press conference were Agus Pambagia of the Media Coalition, Agus Sudibyo of the Institute for Studies on the Free Flow of Information (ISAI), M. Qodari of the Indonesian Survey Institute (LSI) and Bimo Nugroho of the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI).

The press conference was held ahead of the KPU's planned meeting on July 27, one day after it announces the final results of the July 5 presidential election, to discuss the campaign schedule and mechanisms.

The KPU will reportedly scrap public rallies during the campaign period, but allow three days' of public debating by the candidates. This restriction is based on the belief that the candidates will only be required "to better explain their manifestos."

The candidates, however, will be allowed to erect or display banners, posters and other campaign paraphernalia in public places.

"Article 35(2) of the Presidential Election Law does not explicitly stipulate that a 30-day campaign should only be held for the first round of the election. In addition, Article 35(9) says that candidates' efforts to further explain their manifestos should not replace a full campaign," Smita said.

She warned of disguised campaigning by the candidates on other days beside the three days allowed by the KPU, given that "the candidates will have 53 other days on which they will do anything they can to win more votes."

"The KPU's plan to limit the campaign to three days is also unfair as one of the candidates is the incumbent President, who may avail of her position to convey her manifesto to the public," Smita said, referring to Megawati Soekarnoputri.