KIPP reports violations to govt

KIPP reports violations to govt

JAKARTA (JP): An independent poll watchdog, whose
establishment created controversy last year, began filing reports
of minor violations of campaign rules to the official Election
Monitoring Committee yesterday.

The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) accused
the dominant Golkar of misusing state-agencies facilities for its
campaign.

It also said the state-owned television station TVRI had been
unfair in giving Golkar activities more airtime than the two
other parties -- the United Development Party (PPP) and the
Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The report was filed to Attorney General Singgih who also
chairs the government election monitoring committee.

Signed by executive director Farid R. Faqih, the report noted
the use of government vehicles to carry Golkar supporters and
banners. It said that on the first day of the election campaign
Sunday, some village officers in Bintaro, South Jakarta, led by
their village chief, put up Golkar symbols and banners using
government facilities.

It also noted the use of the Bank Rakyat Indonesia building, a
state-owned bank, in Rawasari, Central Jakarta, for a Golkar
campaign session.

The report said the length of airtime for the three parties on
TVRI was unfairly distributed. PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum
was allotted three minutes airtime during the National News at 7
p.m., PDI chairman Soerjadi was allocated three minutes, while
Harmoko and Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana had eight minutes.

During the World News broadcast at 9 p.m., PPP had 2.5
minutes, PDI had two minutes, while Golkar had four minutes of
airtime.

Ismail Hasan had already accused the state television station
of biased coverage of Golkar.

The poll watchdog said it was concerned with TVRI's coverage
of the campaign activities. There were pictures of Ismail Hasan
Metareum, not the thousands of supporters greeting him in Medan.
There were also shots of Fatimah Achmad and Soerjadi in West
Kalimantan.

But TVRI extensively covered Golkar's campaign activities,
showing Harmoko in Lebak, West Java; Hardiyanti in Jepara,
Central Java; Azwar Anas in Cempaka Putih, Jakarta; and former
vice president Sudharmono in Karet Tengsin, Jakarta.

The KIPP called on the official Election Monitoring Committee
to stop the misuse of government facilities by Golkar, and the
television station to give fairer coverage of the three political
groups. (26/swe)