Minority parties told to start campaigning

Minority parties told to start campaigning

JAKARTA (JP): Political observer Afan Gaffar suggested that
the minority political parties launch their election campaigning
now, rather than wait until the official electioneering time in
1997.

He told activists of the Moslem-based United Development Party
(PPP) and the nationalist Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) to
make use of the available time by trying more effective "door-to-
door" campaigning.

"Don't wait until the official campaigning time," he told the
forum for dialogs of activists of the political contestants in
Yogyakarta yesterday.

Also speaking at the gathering yesterday was political
scientist Riswandha Imawan. Both Afan and Riswandha are lecturers
at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta.

Afan encouraged some 200 activists of PDI yesterday to also
make use of the newly issued ruling on political gathering
permits.

"The ruling has given a greater leeway for the political
parties to hold political meetings, so you should use it to
communicate better with your supporters," Afan was quoted by the
Antara news agency as saying.

"Launch a door-to-door campaign, hold meetings, because when
elections time arrive, you won't have any time to hold dialogs
with your supporters."

As the country is gearing up for the 1997 general elections,
the ruling Golkar and the two minority political parties have
been engaged in discussions about methods for campaign rallies.

Golkar, whose chairman Harmoko has been traveling extensively
for "cadre meetings" which some people said smacked of premature
electioneering, has proposed that outdoor election campaign
rallies be replaced with indoor discussions.

Harmoko, who has been accused of "stealing" the time available
for campaign rallies, also said Golkar wanted there to be
"campaigns in the form of discussions" within each political
party, but not between the political contestants.

Electioneering

Golkar has often been criticized as launching activities, such
as holding massive rallies of members across the country, which
smacked of electioneering, while PPP and PDI often encounter
difficulties in their attempts to hold similar gatherings.

Under the existing rules, election campaigning may be carried
out only a few weeks before election day. Rallies and outdoor
campaigns are permitted only for one month before the polls are
conducted.

PDI has expressed reluctance to accept the proposal. PPP
stated its readiness for both indoor and outdoor campaigns, but
asked that political rallies not be totally banned. (swe)