Government rejects televised electioneering

JAKARTA (JP): The government has quashed a suggestion that television stations be permitted to air election campaign commercials, saying it is against existing rules.

Promotional flicks for religious purposes, for political purposes and for individuals are not allowed, according to Dewabrata, the director general for radio, film and television at the Ministry of Information.

"They are against the existing regulations on advertising," he was quoted by Antara as saying yesterday.

He promised, however, that the state television station TVRI and the five private television stations will allocate adequate airtime to the three political contestants for the 1997 general election. The contestants are the ruling Golkar, the Moslem-based United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party.

The actual time allotments and what will be broadcast will be discussed further with the General Election Committee, he said.

Last week Abdullah Alatas Fahmi, a former executive of the TPI television station and a leading member of Golkar, suggested that television stations be allowed to run election campaign advertisements.

He argued that political commercials would be better than the traditional mass mobilization of supporters for street rallies. He said that television stations in a number of developed countries, particularly the United States, have long sold airtime to politicians and political parties.

"Just like ordinary commercials, political commercials can be used to net as many voters as possible," he said. (swe)