Mega, Susilo relying on media campaign to win

Mega, Susilo relying on media campaign to win

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The campaign teams of Megawati Soekarnoputri and Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono say they will rely on media and door-to-door campaigns
to win the runoff on Sept. 20.

Agus Condro, a member of the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi campaign
team, said on Wednesday the three-day campaign period was not
long enough for Megawati to make regional visits.

"We will improve our campaign through print and electronic
media," Agus told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday. He did not
reveal how much money his camp would allocate for media
campaigns.

Agus said the campaign teams of Megawati and Hasyim would also
optimize the network of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI-P), from the central office through to the regions,
to lure more voters.

Meanwhile, Hamdan Zoelva of the Susilo-Jusuf Kalla camp told
the Post that, aside from media campaigns, teams would also reach
out to would-be voters through door-to-door campaigns at village
level.

"The candidates and all members of campaign teams are ready to
reach out to the grass roots. We have consolidated ourself for
the campaign," said Hamdan, who is a member of the Crescent Star
Party (PBB).

Presidential election Law No. 23/2003 states that candidates
in the runoff have only three days to campaign, and the General
Elections Commission (KPU) decided that the campaign period would
run from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16.

KPU deputy chairman Ramlan Surbakti said on Wednesday his
office would invite the two presidential candidates and their
respective campaign teams to discuss campaign procedure.

Article 35(9) of the presidential election law stipulates that
the campaign for the runoff is designed to provide candidates
time to explain the details of their programs, vision and
mission. The explanation section of the article clearly says that
the campaign must not be organized for more than three days.

"Public gatherings or street rallies will not be allowed,"
Ramlan said.

The short campaign period has raised concerns that the number
of people who choose not to vote will increase.

At least 34 million or 21.9 percent of 155 million registered
voters did not exercise their voting right in the July 5
presidential election, up from 23.6 million in the April 5
legislative election.

Meanwhile, the KPU on Wednesday discussed preparations for the
September runoff, including voter registration and the printing
of ballot papers.

Ramlan suggested that there would be an increase in the number
of voters in the September election. The additional voters, he
said, would come from people who turn 17 years old before or on
the day of the election.

He also called on people who had not registered to do so, as
time was running out.

According to him, the KPU would announce the final list of
voters on Aug. 19, followed by the printing of ballot papers.

KPU member Valina Singka Subekti, meanwhile, said the KPU
would continue to encourage people to exercise their voting right
in September.

"It is true that voting is their right, but it is our
obligation to encourage them to vote," she said.