KPU drops ultimatum to President, VP
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Ambon
After repeated threats, the General Elections Commission (KPU) retreated on Friday from its demand that President Megawati Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah Haz take leave to campaign for the respective political parties.
KPU member Hamid Awaluddin, who is also chairman of the electoral campaign working committee, said the commission had dropped its ultimatum.
This decision ends the controversy over whether Megawati and Hamzah would be able to campaign for their parties, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the United Development Party (PPP) respectively, despite not taking leave during the 22-day campaign period that began on Thursday.
"Although they are not taking leave, we consider that they have after we received a letter from the Cabinet secretary explaining the issue," he said.
State Secretary/Cabinet Secretary Bambang Kesowo announced on Wednesday the President could not take a leave of office in order to avoid a power vacuum. Both Megawati and Hamzah plan to be on the campaign trail for 10 days each. Nine ministers, including Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra, are also scheduled to campaign for their respective parties.
The KPU reprimanded Yusril on Thursday for addressing a campaign stop of his Crescent Star Party (PBB) that was not included on his official campaign schedule.
Hamid said Yusril took part in an unscheduled campaign stop in Bandung, West Java, on Thursday. Yusril also addressed an indoor campaign on Friday. State Secretary Bambang Kesowo earlier sent a letter to the KPU stating that Yusril would take leave on March 15 and March 26 to campaign for his party.
"Today, we issued a written warning to Yusril for his unscheduled campaign stop," said Hamid.
According to Article 75 of Law No. 12/2003 on elections, and Government Regulation No. 9/2004 on electoral campaigns for state officials, state officials, including ministers, must take leave in order to take part in election campaigns.
The government regulation on campaigning for state officials regulates that state officials may only take a maximum of two days of leave for campaigning, though they are free to campaign on weekends.
Separately, Yusril insisted that he was on leave when he campaigned on March 11 and March 12.
"I am on leave. The President allowed me to take leave for the campaign," he said on Friday.
The campaign period will last from March 11 to April 1, with a break on March 21 for the Hindu Day of Silence, or Nyepi. The country will hold its legislative election on April 5, which will be followed by a direct presidential election on July 5, with a second round on Sept. 20 if necessary.
Also on Friday, the KPU issued a written warning to six political parties for placing their flags on the sides of toll roads in Jakarta.
"The flags of political parties are prohibited from being placed on the sides of toll roads," KPU member Hamid said.
Separately, the campaign in the city of Ambon in Maluku was tainted by the burning of 18 flags of the Golkar Party on Thursday.
The incident caused widespread anger in the community, local police spokesman Comr. Endro Prasetyo said. The case has been reported to the local KPUD and the local elections supervisory committee.
Police are investigating the case.