Govt defends campaign rules

JAKARTA (JP): The government is refusing to revise the election campaign rules despite complaints from the United Development Party (PPP).

"It is not possible to revise the rules as they are a compilation of the aspirations of all elements in society, including the PPP itself," Director General of Social and Political Affairs Sutoyo N.K. said yesterday.

He said the PPP should not have questioned the rules as the Moslem-oriented party and the other two political contestants -- Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) -- were involved in the drafting of the election campaign rules.

In a statement released Sunday, the PPP said some election campaign guidelines did not comply with higher laws, restricted public participation, offended the essence of campaigning and adversely affected all political groups, especially the PPP.

The party also objected to the government's decision to appoint "neutral" experts to vet radio and television campaign messages.

Sutoyo defended the vetting policy, saying "it's only an administrative matter. The political contestants themselves will propose the campaign moderators. We only issue endorsements."

The Chairman of the National Commission on Human Rights, Munawir Sjadzali, said yesterday the commission had yet to determine whether the election campaign rules violated human rights.

"It is only the anxiety of the PPP over allegedly unfair rules. The rights commission will conduct an investigation only when we have indications of rights violations," he said.

PPP Secretary-General Tosari Wijaya said yesterday the party would continue to demand that Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. and National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Dibyo Widodo revise the campaign rules.

"The government can say the rules are already fixed, but it is not wrong to improve them where necessary. Otherwise, the rules can be compromised illegally," Tosari said.

"If unlawful compromises are tolerated, what will regulations mean then?" he added.

Tosari denied recent reports that the PPP had approved the campaign rules.

He had said earlier the rules breached the initial agreement reached among the three political groups and the government in a series of discussions with the National Security and Defense Council. (imn/amd)