KPU urged to get tough on premature electioneering

KPU urged to get tough on premature electioneering

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Demands are growing for the General Elections Commission (KPU) to
ban the display of party symbols prior to the official start of
the election campaign.

Ray Rangkuti of the Independent Committee for Election
Monitoring (KIPP) and Ani W. Soetjipto from the Center for
Electoral Reform (CETRO) said the KPU would just encourage more
violations of the election rules if it failed to take action
against parties for premature campaigning.

"Any activities which involve the display of party symbols or
rallies in public places must be categorized as campaigning.
Therefore any party that holds a rally before the campaign begins
must be punished," Ray said on Sunday.

He was referring to the anniversary celebrations held by the
United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party
(PKB) recently, which saw their supporters avidly displaying the
symbols of the two parties.

Ray said that if the other parties followed suit, it would
create political tension that could disrupt the elections and
eventually sideline the principles of honesty and fairness.

Ani Soetjipto agreed with Ray, saying that she considered the
PPP and PKB guilty of premature electioneering.

"It's because during these events the two parties displayed
their party symbols," she said.

Law No. 12/2003 on general elections does not specifically
define a campaign. It only stipulates a number of restrictions
that are to apply during an election campaign. The campaign this
year is scheduled to run between March 11 and April 1.

KPU Regulation No.701/2003, however, defines a campaign as an
effort aimed at convincing non-party members to vote for a party
by publicizing its manifesto through the mass media, in public
places or at meetings during the period designated by the KPU.

The lack of clarity in the regulations has prompted the 24
parties eligible to contest the polls to interpret them as they
please.

Although the official campaign period has not started, a
number of parties seem intent on launching early campaign under
the guise of party events. such as anniversaries.

The Pioneer Party, which is chaired by Rachmawati
Soekarnoputri, has erected banners in public places in South
Jakarta. The banners, which show the party's symbol, wish
Indonesians performing haj pilgrimage well.

Meanwhile, the Golkar Party is slated to a national meeting
from Jan. 18 through Jan. 19. It seems inevitable that the party
will also erect flags and banners around the city.

The chairman of the Elections Supervisory Committee
(Panwaslu), Komaruddin Hidayat, has also urged the KPU and the
political parties to reach agreement on some of the campaign
regulations which he described as "gray areas".