Experts doubt efficacy of negative campaigning
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.