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".