KPU split on letting ministers campaign
KPU split on letting ministers campaign
JAKARTA (JP): The 53-member General Elections Commission (KPU)
was divided on Monday over whether ministers would be allowed to
campaign for their parties in the general election.
KPU chairman Rudini said the commission was still mulling the
campaign rules, including the issue of ministers.
"The ruling is still being debated in the (election
commission) plenary session," he said, adding the session would
resume on Tuesday.
Rudini's opinion on the issue conflicts with that of Harun
Alrasid, the commission deputy chairman.
Rudini said the commission possessed the authority to allow or
prohibit ministers' involvement, but Harun believed it was the
president's decision.
The commission's subcommission D, which deliberated election
campaign rules, agreed on Sunday that ministers should be barred
from campaigning.
Harun said the commission failed to make a decision on the
ministers' issue because there was a minority of members opposed
to the subcommission's decision.
He declined to identify the members.
"They argued the campaign ruling for the commission's members
should also prevail for ministers," he said.
"And if the election commission's members are allowed to
campaign, (they argued) the ministers should receive the same
treatment."
The commission, which will serve for five years, decided last
week that its members would be permitted to campaign because
several argued they could not remain idle for the period of their
commission membership while they were party representatives.
Harun contended all ministers should be barred from
campaigning except for Minister/State Secretary Akbar Tandjung
and State Minister of Investment Hamzah Haz because they are
chairmen of political parties. They are respectively chairmen of
the Golkar Party and the United Development Party.
Sutradara Ginting, a representative of the Justice and Unity
Party, dismissed the minority's objections, saying ministers
should not be treated equally with commission members.
"We have had bad experiences with ministers using state
facilities for party election campaigns," he said.
Akbar Tandjung emphasized on Monday there was no law
prohibiting Cabinet members from campaigning.
Citing his own experience, Akbar disregarded fears ministers
could manipulate their power or use state facilities for
political interests.
"You can check whether I used state facilities during my
campaign activities," Akbar said after meeting with President
B.J. Habibie at Merdeka Palace.
Akbar acknowledged it would be necessary for Cabinet members
to take leave from their government duties to enable them to
concentrate on their political activities.
"The ministers can take their leave during the entire campaign
period or just when they are active as election campaigners," he
said.
The National Front, a political group including several
retired military officers, said ministers should be banned
outright from campaigning and it was not a decision for the
president.
"Ministers should be barred from campaigning because it would
be difficult to treat them as party cadres, government officials
or legislative candidates," National Front executive Kemal Idris
said in a news release on Tuesday.
Although he said it was the ministers' right to join political
parties, it provided a conflict of interest in separating their
personal capacity from their ministerial positions.
National Election Committee chairman Jacob Tobing said there
would also be a ruling concerning limitations on party functions.
Parties vie with other to attract huge numbers of people to
public facilities such as sports stadiums and halls for what are
euphemistically called "general meetings".
In several areas, most recently Yogyakarta, there have been
clashes between supporters of different parties returning from
functions.
"If the events are not limited, they're just like
campaigning," Jacob said." (rms/prb)