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)