Organizer of alleged pro-Mega quiz questioned

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Padang

The Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) questioned on Wednesday an official from a foundation that has been holding a multi-billion rupiah quiz, who acknowledged that the program was deliberately held in the approach toward the September election runoff.

The executive director of the Investigation, Mediation and Monitoring Foundation (IMM), Ignas Iriyanto, said the quiz was aimed at rebuilding optimism among the people, who for the last six years had constantly been listening to doom-and-gloom stories about the country's failure to emerge from the crisis.

"We have intentionally organized the program with the sole objective of encouraging the public. Over the last six years, they have heard nothing except the failure of the government's programs," Ignas said.

Panwaslu questioned Ignas about the quiz out of concern that it favored Megawati Soekarnoputri, who will contest the Sept. 20 runoff against Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Ignas was the first person summoned by Panwaslu over publication of the quiz, entitled Indonesia Sukses (Successful Indonesia), which offers Rp 14.1 billion (US$1.5 million) in total prizes for winners who can say what the Megawati administration has achieved over the last three years.

The quiz appeared in a full-page advertisement in some leading newspapers on Monday.

Ignas said the period right before the runoff was the most appropriate time for the quiz as Indonesians would soon have to choose their new leader.

He said pessimism over the Megawati administration's achievements was not only felt by educated people, but had also affected the less-educated rural population.

However, he denied allegations that the quiz was aimed at boosting Megawati's popularity. "It depends on the perception of the public. They might also think that SBY also had a hand in improving the economy," he said, referring to Susilo by his nickname.

Susilo was part of Megawati's Cabinet before he resigned a few days before the April 5 legislative election, which his Democratic Party was contesting.

As for the funding for the quiz, Ignas said that it was backed by contributions from a number of state enterprises.

All state companies are the responsibility of State Minister of State Enterprises Laksamana Sukardi, who is an aide of Megawati.

Speaking after the questioning session, Panwaslu member Topo Santoso said the Election Supervisory Committee would summon executives of the state companies involved for explanations.

"We will first summon the chief executives of Bank Mandiri, BNI and BRI as it is these banks who are providing the prize money. Then, we will demand explanations from state oil and gas company Pertamina, telecommunications company Indosat and coal mining company Bukit Asam," Topo told reporters.

Contacted separately, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) deputy secretary-general Pramono Anung said that no one in Megawati's campaign team was involved in the quiz program.

Pramono also said the publication of the quiz came as a shock to the Megawati campaign team. But they would not seek any clarifications from the IMM.

"We have nothing whatsoever to do with the quiz and we don't want to comment on it, as neither the Megawati-Hasyim campaign team, the Mega Center nor the President have anything to do with it," he told reporters.

Separately, the West Sumatra Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said it would question Azwir Dainy Tara, a House of Representatives legislator from the Golkar Party, for running ads in the local media.

West Sumatra Panwaslu member Hazril Chaniago told The Jakarta Post that the questioning of Azwir would start soon after the KPU finished drawing up new campaign rules.