Experts doubt efficacy of negative campaigning

Sari P. Setiogi, Jakarta

Experts have played down the impact of negative campaigning targeting candidates in the presidential election, saying it only stated the obvious about the contenders.

"Generally, the content of this negative campaigning is information about the past lives of the presidential candidates or facts about them which most voters already know," political observer Syamsuddin Haris told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

He said examining a presidential candidate's background or track record was a common practice during election campaigns worldwide.

"The public has the right to know about the backgrounds of their (candidates)," Syamsuddin said.

He doubted these campaigns would adversely affect voting for a candidate, as many voters had already decided on their choice.

Recently a music Video Compact Disk (VCD) was circulated in Java that contained hidden messages urging voters not to vote for Golkar Party candidate Gen (ret.) Wiranto. The VCD begins with a concert of a popular televised talent quest but is interrupted by images of the Trisakti and Semanggi incidents in 1998 and 1999, where peaceful demonstrators were shot by members of the armed forces.

A written statement then implores the viewer not to vote for Wiranto, who was the Indonesian Military chief when the two incidents took place.

Another candidate, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is being dogged by allegations of his involvement in the July 27, 1996, shootings of Indonesian Democratic Party supporters after police reopened their probe into the case. Susilo was the chief of staff of the Jakarta Military when the violence that marked the takeover of the PDI office occurred.

Investigations into the incident had earlier petered out after reaching no conclusions and observers see its reopening as politically motivated.

The PDI later turned into the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), which is chaired by President Megawati Soekarnoputri, Susilo's main rival in the presidential election.

Meanwhile, Megawati is up against an Islamic fatwa -- a non- binding recommendation in the context of Indonesian Islam -- issued by several East Java clerics, who forbade Muslims to elect a woman president.

Another observer, Imam B. Prasodjo, said he trusted the intelligence of the electorate, despite the negative campaigning.

"Disadvantages resulting from negative campaigning can be handled. It is a common thing," he said.

Imam said only three of the five presidential candidates had so far been targeted because they were the top contenders in the July 5 election.

"Both Amien (Rais) and Hamzah (Haz) are relatively clean in terms of past mistakes that could affect their public image. It may be more difficult for their foes to discredit them," he said.

Both Syamsuddin and Imam believed much of the negative campaigning came from rival campaign teams.

However, third parties who had no ambitions in the presidential race could also be involved, Imam said. "For example, the (VCD) campaign against Wiranto could have been started by those who want the Semanggi tragedy to be solved," he said.