Commission asked to extend campaign period to 30 days
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.