Panwaslu says candidates stage disguised campaigns

Panwaslu says candidates stage disguised campaigns

M. Taufiqurrahman, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The General Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) said on
Sunday that scores of sporting activities organized by
presidential candidates' campaign teams were a subtle form of
campaigning outside the designated schedule.

However, because such activities were not covered in
regulations by the General Elections Commission (KPU), no legal
action could be taken against the teams who organized the events,
it added.

Panwaslu member Rozy Munir said that although the activities
-- including a fun walk with extravagant prizes -- did not
involve the presentation of political platforms, they had
undeniably been turned into events in which the campaign teams
attempted to sway voters.

"Though the events did not meet the criteria of activities
considered as campaigning based on KPU Ruling No. 35/2003 on the
presidential campaign, they could be categorized as activities to
lure voters," he said.

Rozy said Panwaslu would continue monitoring such activities
and would continue to inform the public about them. "Let people
decide whether the candidates have embarked on clean campaigning
or not."

On Sunday, the two camps of incumbent President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and running mate Hasyim Muzadi, and her contender
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono-Jusuf Kalla held two separate sports
activities which drew huge crowds.

The Megawati-Hasyim team organized a fun walk pretentiously
aimed at honoring the country's first president and Megawati's
father, Soekarno.

Thousands of participants took part in the event in the hope
of winning a car, which was offered as the first prize.

Megawati was slated to give a send off to participants in the
fun walk, but failed to show up for reasons undisclosed. Vice
President Hamzah Haz took her place.

Central board senior executive of Megawati's Indonesian
Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Roy B.B. Janis denied that
the fun walk was an subtle campaign aimed at persuading people to
vote for Megawati.

"This is a state function and a neutral event. If the
distribution of T-shirts bearing the pictures of Megawati and
Hasyim was involved, it was at the initiative of participants.
And Pak Hamzah attended the event in his capacity as Vice
President.

Separately, Kalla took part in a similar activity in Pamulang,
Banten province. Last week, Susilo led a fun walk along with
former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid who announced on
Saturday he endorsed Susilo's candidacy.

Aside from holding the sports events to lure undecided voters,
the two candidates have started a new stage of smear campaigns.

Both camps had called themselves true reformists, while
accusing their opponents of being lackeys of president Soeharto's
New Order regime.

Hasyim said during a function in Bandarlampung that Susilo and
Kalla, were undeniably part of the New Order regime "They could
speak about reform, but the fact is that they are from the old
administration," he said.

The Susilo camp had earlier said the Nationhood Coalition of
four major parties in support of Megawati's reelection bid was
mustered by New Order forces.