PDI-P, PPP support state campaigners
PDI-P, PPP support state campaigners
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
In a move that observers fear could perpetuate abuses of
power, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
Perjuangan) and the United Development Party (PPP) have come out
in favor of state officials being allowed to take part in
preelection campaigns.
The two parties' stance, in opposition to the remaining seven
factions on the House of Representatives (DPR) committee
deliberating the elections bill on Thursday, resulted in a
stalemate on an article that would ban state officials from
campaigning for their respective political parties.
PDI Perjuangan and PPP are chaired by President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Vice President Hamzah, respectively.
Legislator Amin Said Husni of the National Awakening Party
(PKB) said state officials must be excluded from election
campaigns to avoid abuses of power.
"We cannot tolerate state officials who abuse their power and
misappropriate state facilities for campaigns," Amin said on the
sidelines of the committee meeting.
Article 108 of the elections bill, which was drafted by the
home affairs ministry, says state officials are restricted from
taking part in preelection campaigning.
These state officials include the president, vice president,
Supreme Court justices, leaders of the Supreme Advisory Council,
leaders of the State Audit Agency, ministers, the governor and
deputy governors of Bank Indonesia, governors, regents, mayors
and their deputies, the management of state and regional
enterprises, civil servants and village heads.
Parties violating the article would be barred from
participating in the remainder of the campaign period by the
General Election Commission.
In past elections, it was common for ministers and other state
officials to use state facilities during political campaigns.
Amin said exempting state officials from election campaigns
would balance the playing field between those parties that are
represented in the Cabinet and those that are not.
Rusman Lumban Toruan of PDI Perjuangan, however, said state
officials who hold positions in their political parties should be
allowed to take part in campaigns.
"There is inconsistency in this article. State officials who
lead political parties should be allowed to campaign," Rusman
said.
Chozin Chumaidy of PPP also argued that state officials should
be allowed to campaign, saying any abuses of power could be
curbed by restricting the officials from using state facilities
during campaigning.
"They must take regular flights and pay for their own hotels
because they would be ordinary citizens," Chozin said.