KPU defends ruling allowing members to campaign

KPU defends ruling allowing members to campaign

JAKARTA (JP): The General Elections Commission (KPU) decided
on Friday to uphold its decision to allow all members to
campaign.

KPU chairman Rudini said the 48 political party
representatives in the 53-member commission agreed not to revise
the rule, which is part of its campaign code of conduct, for the
sake of the national interests and the success of the election.

"We cannot make any revision to our decrees, because it will
adversely affect the whole process of the election. We will waste
our time, which is already running out, if we open debate on what
we have agreed on," Rudini said after a three-and-a-half-hour
plenary meeting.

KPU refused to ease its ban against cabinet ministers to
campaign for the parties contesting the polls, overruling a
presidential decree which allowed all but five of them to do so.

In response to the KPU insistence, Minister of
Justice/Minister/State Secretary Muladi criticized the commission
for failing to apply the ban on its own members. Muladi said
KPU's double standards would adversely affect its neutrality.

Five government representatives in the KPU joined the chorus
of criticism, accusing their counterparts of representing
political parties for "joining forces to do something wrong".

One of the government representatives, Andi Mallarangeng, said
KPU would not be able to meet the quorum in meetings held during
the campaign period from May 19 to June 4 because representatives
of the 48 parties would be busy with their party commitment.

To be consistent with their stance, the five government
appointees said they would not campaign for any parties or run
for legislative seats.

Hasballah M. Saad, a commission member of the National Mandate
Party (PAN), said he would rather resign from KPU if he was not
allowed to campaign.

Rudini, who is also a patron and presidential candidate of
MKGR, said the commission would apply a shift to ensure that at
least 27 KPU members would be present in all decision-making to
be held during the campaign period.

Joint communique

Leaders of three opposition parties, PAN, National Awakening
Party (PKB) and Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) planned to meet and release a joint communique
demanding for a free and fair general election.

The meeting was scheduled to take place around midnight on
Friday, with PAN chairman Amien Rais, his PDI Perjuangan
counterpart Megawati Soekarnoputri and PKB founder Abdurrahman
Wahid expected to attend.

Alwi Shihab, a PKB deputy chairman, said the tripartite talk
would begin after Amien met in person with Attorney General A.M.
Ghalib in the Sahid Jaya Hotel. The Amien-Ghalib show finished
about 10 p.m.

"I'm not sure of the time and the place of the three-party
meeting. But we will hold a media conference later," Alwi said.

Both Alwi and Ratih Hardjono, Abdurrahman's media relations
aide, refused to disclose what the talk's content would be.

"I'm sorry I cannot tell details of the meeting because there
are some parties who do not wish the press to cover the event,"
Ratih said.

Alwi said besides signing the agreement, the three politicians
would discuss the current situation and their respective
preparations for the elections.

Earlier in the day, Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur,
delivered his mandatory nine-month accountability speech before a
plenary meeting of Nahdlatul Ulama, the Muslim organization he
chairs.

PKB executive Arifin Junaidi said that during the plenary
meeting, which is still underway, the NU would decide on a
replacement of Abdurrahman who plans to take a two-month leave
for party interests.

"NU executives Rozy Munir, Fadjrul Faalakh and Hafidz Usman
are likely to be named to share among themselves the top jobs,"
Arifin said. (edt)