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.