Major gatherings curbed in run up to election

JAKARTA (JP): The government has restricted major gatherings by political and social organizations in the run up to the May general election, calling on local administrators to issue permits sparingly.

"Governors, regents and mayors are ordered to postpone any meeting, congress or seminar organized by sociopolitical and mass organizations which involve a large crowd of people until after the election," the Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement.

The order was made by Minister of Home Affairs Moch. Yogie S.M. in a circular distributed to all provincial and regency- level administrations throughout the country, the statement said.

Any activity that could incite social unrest and disturb public order should be postponed, it said. It did not specify any size when describing the gatherings.

The restrictions should be observed particularly from one week before the election campaign period to one week after polling day, it added.

The order was contained in a ministerial decree signed in October. Its existence was only disclosed yesterday.

The three political organizations -- the dominant Golkar, the United Development Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party -- will contest 425 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for the Armed Forces, whose members do not vote in the election.

The campaigning period is from April 27 to May 23; this will be followed by a five-day cooling-off period. Polling is slated for May 29.

The restriction also applies to research activities involving a large number of people.

However, research or field surveys that do not involve the masses and are unlikely to cause unrest and public disorder are exempt from the restriction, it said.

Governors, regents and mayors also head the local general election committees in their respective areas. They are therefore empowered with the authority to ban any meeting -- political, social or even academic -- in their jurisdiction if it is perceived to threaten the general election. (imn)