In search of economical camapign methods

By Sri Wahyuni

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Limited funds among many of the 48 parties contesting the June poll have led them to seek the most effective and efficient methods to attract votes.

Street rallies, apart from the display of banners and flags, are the norm although they are banned. But these imply large sources of funds beyond the reach of several parties.

While the administration here provides facilities such as the Kridosono sport hall for a relatively low fee, some parties apparently don't have enough supporters to fill it.

The local chapter of the Murba Party, for instance, finds it better to campaign from door to door. In a single work day campaigners are lucky if they can meet five to 10 people.

"We have had positive response," Yogyakarta's Murba chairman Mantoro Wiryosuharto told The Jakarta Post last week.

According to the new elections law, the government should provide funds for campaigns for each party, in addition to the already distributed aid of Rp 150 million per party. But until Monday the sum had not yet been fixed.

Fortunately, the administrative governments have transferred funds for the parties of Rp 10 million each in Yogyakarta.

One popular party here, the National Awakening Party (PAN), whose chairman Amien Rais is based in Yogyakarta, says it has spent Rp 1 billion for flags alone in the province.

Iskandar, PAN's chairman of the township chapter, said the party also gratefully accepted the Rp 10 million, which could cover a few thousand packages of nasi bungkus each worth about Rp 2,500.

Iskandar, who owns a supermarket chain here, said PAN also benefits from the lower prices it pays to T-shirt business owners. Because of profits gained from the high sale of T-shirts, many of the business owners charge PAN Rp 4,000 per T-shirt instead of Rp 6,000 charged to some other parties, he said.

The administration's contribution of Rp 10 million means a lot more to the tiny Democratic People's Party (PRD).

Haris Rusli Muti, a student and also chairman of the Yogyakarta township chapter, said the Rp 10 million was transferred to PRD's Jakarta headquarters. From here funds are distributed to chapters because not all provincial and regional governments gave funds to parties.

"We got Rp 2 million from Jakarta (headquarters)," Haris said. It has been spent to print party leaflets and brochures which it distributed to the public.

"We aim for public political education," Haris said, rather than legislative seats. Ideally, Rp 15 million would be needed to distribute enough leaflets in Yogyakarta, he said.

Parties must be content with their resources. Murba Party's Mantoro says the door-to-door campaigns have led to enough optimism that the party can win at least one of the 45 contested seats at the provincial legislative council.

A similar method is carried out by the New Masyumi Party, and even these mainly target relatives and family members of the original Masyumi Party members.

The New Masyumi also claims it has no target in seats at the provincial council. The party is only one of those claiming to carry on the tradition of the once banned Muslim Masyumi party, one of the largest vote-takers in the first 1955 poll.

Other parties choose to organize cheap markets. Another Masyumi party, the Indonesian Masyumi Islamic Political Party (PPIM) and the Justice Party (PK) are examples.

PPIM's cheap market program sells basic needs in packages sold for Rp 1,500, each containing 2.5 kilograms of rice and a liter of cooking oil. "Such activities are more useful than only fun- seeking things," an activist of PPIM said.

The local chapter of the Indonesian Nation's National Party (PNBI) holds rallies and dialogs, free health services involving members and supporters who are physicians, and a cleaning of a local dirty river, Kali Mambu.

PNBI activists have been seen cleaning the river since 7 a.m. Such activities are "real things for the community, not just a show of force," PNBI's deputy chairman for Yogyakarta, Mulyadi, said. "In this time of crisis it would be unwise to hold glamorous events," he added.

Limited funds and supporters are mostly the main reason why particular political parties choose such community-oriented activities.

The People's Choice Party (Pilar), held a blood donation program at the Tegalgendu public health center on Friday, during which the party introduced its programs and logo. Pilar chapter chairman Hefni Yarus said, "It's the useful programs that count."

The Indonesian People's Party (Pari) gave a silk-screening course supervised by Dwi Sumadji alias Iwik -- the acquitted defendant in the murder case of journalist Fuad Muhammad Syafruddin. Riding on his fame following coverage of the trial, Dwi is now a Pari legislative candidate.

The Peace Loving Party (PCD) provides "mental workshops" which are sessions for praising Allah, dzikrullah. The sessions are part of a regular community service, chairman of PCD's Sleman regency chapter, Akhmad Tri Sasongko, said.

Campaigns of the Islamic Community Party (PUI) largely consist of distributing souvenirs to the public, like matchboxes illustrated with the party's logo. "We're making the most of what he have," W. Dharmawan of Yogyakarta's PUI chapter said.

Public response varies. Yanto, a truck driver, said he preferred the low profile activities to street convoys.

"They don't cause traffic jams," he said. He added he was one of many people harassed by the motorcycle drivers.

But the community-oriented activities, one student said, "smacks of money politics".

The deputy chairman of Yogyakarta's election supervisory committee, M. Mahfud, said there was no rule against the community-oriented activities in which parties appeal for people to vote for them as long as state money is not involved.

"As long as the cheap markets don't involve intimidation to vote for a certain party, it's all right," he said.

Parties are pressed to introduce themselves in a very short time, he said, and so far no violation has been reported.