Officials campaigned early, says Panwaslu
M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta
West Java's Purwakarta Regent Lili Hambali Hasan has been implicated in an unlawful campaign to support President Megawati Soekarnoputri in the Sept. 20 election runoff, the General Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on Monday.
The committee said it had found evidence Lili and Golkar Party central board member Ade Komaruddin initiated a meeting in which they instructed 208 village and subdistrict leaders to campaign for Megawati.
"In the meeting, which took place on Aug. 16, Ade and the regent disseminated information about the Golkar Party central board's decision to support Megawati in the runoff, which had little relevance to the activities of the village and subdistrict heads" committee official Didik Supriyanto said here.
Didik also questioned why Ade was present at the meeting.
A day before the meeting, Golkar announced its support for Megawati and her running mate, Hasyim Muzadi, who face Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jusuf Kalla in the runoff.
Golkar leaders have ordered the party rank and file to tell party supporters to vote in line with the decision.
Purwakarta regional Panwaslu officers are now questioning the village and subdistrict heads who attended the meeting.
Regional Panwaslu chairman Anang Abdul Razak, who is investigating the alleged violation of election law, said the meeting involved an instruction for the local leaders to campaign and vote for Megawati in the runoff.
"Some of the village heads who came to the meeting admitted they had been given such an order," he said.
Anang said, if necessary, the regional Panwaslu would also summon Ade and Lili.
Ade, who is a House of Representatives legislator, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The allegations came shortly after Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno asked all state officials nationwide to remain neutral in the elections.
Panwaslu member Topo Santoso, however, said the supervisory committee would face problems in applying Law No. 22/2003 on presidential elections to the case as the meeting had taken place outside of the designated campaign period.
"The runoff election has only a three-day campaign period and the meeting took place before the official campaigning starts. State officials can only be charged with violating the law for activities conducted during the campaign period," Topo said.
However, he said state officials, especially Lili, could be charged under the Law No. 22/1999 on regional governance.
"Article 48 (of the law) clearly stipulates that state officials are prohibited from creating policies favoring certain social or political groups," Topo said.
He said Panwaslu would recommend the home ministry charge the state officials under the law.
"We will make the recommendation; the same way we dealt with partiality allegations leveled against (Banjarnegara Police chief) Mapparesa," Topo said, referring to Sr. Comr. Andi Aflus Mapparesa who was caught on video-tape campaigning for Megawati.
Panwaslu said Mapparesa had violated the electoral law and recommended National Police chief Gen. Da'i Bachtiar take disciplinary action against him.
Mapparesa was summoned to Jakarta shortly after the case became public. A decision on his case is expected this week.