Megawati-Hasyim notch up most campaign violations

Megawati-Hasyim notch up most campaign violations

M. Taufiqurrahman and PC Naommy, Jakarta

After one week of nationwide presidential election campaigning,
the Megawati-Hasyim Muzadi ticket, which is backed by the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), was declared the
top violator of campaign regulations by the Election Supervisory
Committee (Panwaslu).

Data published by the committee on Wednesday said that the
Megawati-Hasyim ticket was responsible for 14 violations ranging
from the illegal use of state facilities and disturbing public
order, to campaigning outside of the designated period.

The ticket was also faulted for giving the go-ahead for state
officials to campaign on their behalf.

Minister of Religious Affairs Said Agiel al Munawar has been
reprimanded by the General Elections Commission (KPU) for
campaigning without taking leave from office.

The Golkar Party-backed Wiranto-Solahuddin Wahid ticket and
the Democratic Party-backed Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla
ticket came joint second in breaking campaign rules with 11
violations.

Infractions by the candidates included early campaign meetings
held by Gen. (ret) Wiranto in Surabaya, East Java, Solahuddin in
Central Java, and Susilo in Malang, East Java, and Papua.

The Amien Rais-Siswono Yudhohusodo ticket, which is supported
by the National Mandate Party (PAN) and a number of other
parties, came fourth with 10 infractions while the Hamzah Haz-
Agum Gumelar ticket, which is backed by the United Development
Party (PPP), came fifth with eight violations.

Committee member Didik Supriyanto, however, said that the
total number of violations of presidential campaign regulations
was small compared to the number that had occurred in the run-up
to the legislative elections.

He said that in the first week of the legislative election
campaign, the supervisory committee had recorded 1,300
violations. "The low number of violations in the presidential
campaign could be because the first week may only be a warming-up
period," he said, adding that after all the candidates lack
campaign teams at all administrative levels.

Earlier in the day, committee chairman Komaruddin Hidayat said
that the committee had asked the police to beef up security for
polling stations at all administrative levels during and after
the presidential election, which is scheduled for July 5. A
runoff will be held in September, should it prove necessary.

"Experience (during the legislative elections) showed that
most problems with votes occurred at the subdistrict, and the
community and neighborhood unit levels," he said.

"We can't let this happen again because even one missing vote
could trigger a dispute," said Komarudin after meeting with
National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar here.

Komarudin said that the committee would carefully coordinate
its activities with the police, the KPU, and the Ministry of Home
Affairs to guarantee that the results of the election were
accepted by all sides.

"With a transparent system, all parties will have access to
the checks and rechecks that are conducted. This way, we expect
that there will be no more disputes," he said.