KPU told to limit media campaign

KPU told to limit media campaign

JAKARTA: The General Elections Commission has been urged to immediately issue a ruling limiting political party's media campaigns to prevent illegal dominations.

"We want the mass media to give all election contestants equal chances to campaign by limiting the number of media campaigns," Indonesian Broadcasting Watch executive director Agung Supriyo said over the weekend.

Didik Supriyanto of the Elections Supervisory Committee and Mutammimul Ula of the Justice Party shared similar views.

Didik said advertisements in the media should be limited to only 20 percent of the total advertisements in the mass media.

Laws on legislative and presidential elections only stipulate that electronic and print media give the same coverage to all election contestants.

The laws also simply oblige mass media to provide a fair chance for all election contestants to place their advertisements.

Under such a simple rule and without further restrictions, rich political parties and presidential candidates were expected to dominate the mass media. --JP