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)