KPU calls for peaceful elections

Moch. N. Kurniawan The Jakarta Post Jakarta

The General Elections Commission (KPU) is completing the draft of a code of ethics for political parties that underscores the need for election candidates to maintain peace.

The code also prohibits rallies beyond the official campaign period between March 11 and April 1, 2004 and violence against the press. It encourages parties to respect KPU decisions and to show tolerance toward rival supporters.

At least three parties confirmed their approval of several points of the code, but several new parties demanded flexibility by asking time to introduce themselves to the public before the official campaign starts.

The United Development Party (PPP), which agreed to the principle of nonviolence, rejected the demand for extra time to hold public gathering outside the official campaign period.

"We agree that parties must not commit violence in any activities and the presence of a task force is to ensure that our supporters will behave," Chozin Chumaidy, PPP deputy secretary general, told the Jakarta Post.

"But, public gatherings before the campaign period are unacceptable. I think parties have done enough to introduce themselves to the public, and now it is time to educate supporters, for example, on how to punch ballot papers".

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Democratic Nationhood Party (PPDK) expressed their support for violence-free elections.

But they complained about the limited time allowed to introduce themselves to the public.

"If we want to recruit executives in villages where we lack members, we have no choice but to hold public gatherings to make people aware of us," Suswono of PKS said.

"This public socialization is necessary for small parties."

According to him, such a campaign should be allowed in a more low-key manner than outdoor public forums.

PPDK secretary-general Rivai Pulungan agreed that introducing a party to the public ahead of the campaign period was necessary to gain support.

"We are against rallies outside the campaign period as certain big parties have done, but we still need to make the public aware of our presence before the campaign period," he said.

He said the party had approached community leaders to join its board of executives to help win adequate support," he said.

He said parties should be basically allowed to carry out activities ahead of the campaign period without any fear of being charge with violating the Election Law.

So far, most of the 24 parties have expressed their support for the code of ethics.

On another occasion, KPU announced that 163 more regional representatives council (DPD) aspirants passed their administrative and factual verifications, thus they would be able to contest next year's elections.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said the DPD hopefuls came from five provinces: Papua, West Kalimantan, West Nusa Tenggara, North Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi.

South Sulawesi's Regional Elections Commission (KPUD) is now the only provincial chapter of KPU that has not submitted the list of candidates.

The KPUD in South Sulawesi remains split in determining the fate of three candidates -- AA Baramuli, Tanri Abeng and Beddu Amang, who have resided outside the province for a long time. The law requires a DPD candidate to have lived in a province they will represent for three consecutive years before their registration.