National media widely availed of by candidates in local leadership polls

Sylvia Yazid, Bandung

As with any attempt to initiate change, the local leadership elections have raised various interesting issues.

One of them is the campaign process and how it is managed. The candidates, and their campaign teams, have been making the most of all resources, means and media they could possibly be of use to them in reaching out to and convince people to vote for them.

In modern election campaigns, the media, both print and electronic, is one of the main tools used to reach a wide range of potential voters. One of the most interesting forms of campaigning is the use of TV ads, which were extensively aired by the candidates in the last presidential election. During the current local elections, some candidates have been using the same strategy -- advertising on both local and national TV.

There is no rule against advertising on TV during an election campaign and the candidates have all the right in the world to choose the media they wish to avail of at both the national and local levels. Nevertheless, the following question arises: why do they advertise on national TV when they are actually running for local office, with the electorate being confined to those who live and are registered in the local government jurisdiction concerned. There are at least two reasons for positing that advertising on national TV could well turn out to be a waste of time and money.

First, we must admit that national TV, with its wide coverage, is watched by people in almost all parts of Indonesia. But why should a candidate use national TV, with its national coverage, when his actual target group is the people in the region where the election is being held? Most regions have their own local TV stations, which would seem to be a more appropriate choice for advertising as this would demonstrate the candidate's orientation and commitment toward the region.

Moreover, what benefit is it hoped to gain as regards the rest of the people outside the particular region who also happen to watch the ads, but do not live or are registered to vote in the region? In my case, for example, I have moved from my hometown to another city on another island. Although I still have a strong attachment to my hometown and want to see the region develop under the guidance of a capable and trustworthy local leader, there is no possibility for me to participate in elections there. While I might be convinced that the candidate I saw on national TV is the right candidate for my region, I do not have the right to vote for him.

And I certainly will not call my family back home and try to persuade them to vote for the candidate that I prefer. In an ideal democratic election, people do not vote based on suggestions from their family or relatives or friends. In short, no matter how convincing the ads may be, there is nothing I can do to directly express my support.

Second, unless a candidate has the full support of the TV station as a result of the TV station being somehow affiliated to his political party, advertising on national TV requires a lot of money -- both to produce the ads and to buy slots -- money that might be more meaningfully spent at the local level. Of course, the candidate could have access to vast funding resources so that he can afford to campaign at both the local and national levels. In such a case, it is arguable that these vast resources could be better used to support the region's development after the candidate is elected.

Despite the above arguments, a number of candidates have still chosen to run ads on national TV as part of their campaigns. The most logical explanation for this is image-building. A candidate needs to highlight his reputation and capabilities so as to impress potential supporters.

Those candidates who run ads on national TV may already have, or be trying to develop, a national reputation. In a society where anything national or related to the center of power is considered important, having a national reputation is definitely an advantage. The perception might thus be inculcated that if a candidate can advertise on national TV, he must have a strong position at the national level. As we are still in the process of seeking the most appropriate form of decentralization, a leader who has influence at the national level is still needed. Furthermore, under the current decentralization scheme, each region needs a leader who can bring its interests to the fore at the national and even international levels -- and a leader with a national reputation is as good a start as any in this regard.

The ability to advertise on national TV might also be interpreted as evidence that a candidate has access to vast resources, which hopefully will also be used for the development of the region once the candidate has been elected. Some potential supporters might even believe that those who advertise on TV will be less tempted to engage in graft after they get into office. Why should a candidate engage in corruption when he is already loaded, or so the argument might go.

Nevertheless, such beliefs are highly debatable. We have to bear in mind that people in Indonesia are becoming politically more aware. They might not be so easily impressed by flashy ads in the national media. In fact, they might even want to know how a candidate can afford to advertise on national TV; what is the money coming from and is there any guarantee that the candidate won't pillage the local government's coffers after being elected so as to make good the huge sums they spent during the campaign. And, of course, there are always those party die-hards whose views will be extremely difficult to change. Image, good or bad, is not built overnight. It requires enormous effort over a considerable period of time.

Whatever the reasons behind their choices, candidates are free to choose whatever means and media they wish to employ during their campaigns. At the end of the day, it is the people who will decide who they want to be their leaders. This is what a direct, democratic election is all about.

In reality, all this should be treated as a political learning process for we Indonesians as we move toward a more democratic and open society.

The writer is a lecturer at Parahyangan Catholic University