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.