Indoor campaigns, debates advocated to curb violence

JAKARTA (JP): Parties are calling for indoor gatherings and public debates rather than street rallies for election campaigning next June, so as to minimize the possibility of violence.

A government official said on Tuesday that concern over possible outbreaks of violence had prompted the government to prepare a special "code of conduct" for electioneering which would soon be offered to political parties for debate.

Contacted separately, Andi M. Mallarangeng of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Chofifah Indar Parawansa of the People's Awakening Party (PKB) and Santoso of the National Mandate Party (PAN) agreed that the polls should commence as peacefully as possible.

They said the potential for conflict must be minimized.

Chofifah, however, said mobilization of the masses for rallies would be inevitable as a consequence of the opted proportional representation voting system.

"But there must be a regulation to reduce the possibility a bit," Chofifah, a deputy chairwoman in the PKB, told The Jakarta Post.

"It would be better if there were more discussions (in electioneering), so people will be able to use reasoning... rather than emotions... in casting their votes," she said.

Santoso concurred.

He said the National Mandate Party planned, after the House of Representatives endorses the bills on elections, political parties and the status of the legislative bodies in January, to invite all party leaders to meet and commit to peaceful elections.

Santoso said such a meeting could send a message to the people to avoid clashes.

"No longer should one talk like Akbar Tandjung (chairman of Golkar who is also minister/state secretary)," he said, referring to Akbar's call on Monday on Golkar members "to act now" because the party was being discredited.

"At the mass level, such words urge people to fight (physically)... (the remark) was provocation," according to Santoso.

Regarding electioneering, Santoso said political parties could make use of the mass media and other campaigning means such as banners and posters, instead of mobilizing people for rallies.

But he suggested the establishment of time restraints on electioneering through the mass media. This way, no one party would benefit from broadcast media airtime at the expense of other parties.

He also suggested a common debate forum where political parties argued for their party agendas and platforms.

"Electioneering, all in all, should be part of our political education," Santoso said.

Separately, Andi M. Mallarangeng -- who is also a political lecturer at the Ujungpandang-based Hassanuddin University in South Sulawesi -- said the government would ask political parties to exercise restraint.

More indoor campaigning should be promoted, he said. "Whether people like it or not, I don't know."

"But, even if it is decided eventually to have outdoor campaigning, there must be people who are responsible... (namely) the political parties concerned," Andi said.

Andi said a code of conduct was being drafted, seeking to minimize human costs.

According to Andi, Law No. 9/1998 on the freedom to air opinions in public spaces -- which requires that a person is registered as being responsible for a mass rally -- would be used as a reference to the code of conduct being drafted.

The planned code "will be offered to the KPU to discuss", he said, referring to the General Election Committee which, according to the new political bill, will consist of representatives of political parties and the government. (aan)