New campaign rules not good enough: PPP

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) said the government's decision to lift a ban on political parties campaigning in rural areas for the May general election was a small concession because the party could not take full advantage of it.

The lifting of the ban would benefit Golkar because the ruling political group had virtually unimpeded access to rural areas, PPP chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum said on Saturday.

Last month the government introduced new election campaign regulations. While new restrictions were imposed, the ban on campaigning in rural areas was lifted.

At first glance this might appear to be a major concession to the PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), the other minority party in the three-way election race.

But political parties are still barred from opening offices beyond the regency level, a 1970s law designed to depoliticize the rural masses.

"We have no cadres to run our campaigns in villages," Ismail said after heading a PPP delegation which paid a courtesy call on former PPP chairman Idham Chalid.

Given the current PPP financial and human resources conditions, the party would not be able to grab the opportunity the new rules provided, he said.

"How can the PPP and the PDI fight against Golkar when we have no chance of introducing our programs to people in villages and remote areas?" he asked.

Golkar can reach the rural masses because village chiefs are all Golkar cadres, he pointed out.

The minority parties have no chance in rural areas because people in villages are afraid to organize political meetings that do no comply with Golkar policy, he said. "They have no freedom to express their political aspirations".

The PPP also questioned other clauses in the new election campaign rules, including the ban on street rallies and the policy encouraging the use of the electronic media in the campaign.

Secretary-general Tosari Wijaya feared the government could use the ban on street rallies to keep PPP supporters from going to campaign sites.

Tosari also questioned whether the minority parties would get equal broadcast time on the state television station and radio stations TVRI and RRI.

The stations have been criticized for giving more coverage to Golkar. The state broadcasting enterprises fall under the control of Minister of Information Harmoko, who is chairman of Golkar.

"Golkar has received wide coverage for all its cadres meetings and consolidation meetings across the country," Tosari said. (imn)