Poll campaign schedule agreed
JAKARTA (JP): After weeks of heated debate, leaders of the three parties approved a schedule yesterday for the broadcast of campaign messages and debates from April 27 to May 23.
United Development Party (PPP) chairman Ismail Hasan Metareum, Golkar chief Harmoko and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) chairman Soerjadi signed the campaign agreement at the General Elections Institute.
Ismail looked happy after the government finally met his demand that moderators of debates broadcast by the state-owned radio station RRI and television station TVRI would be chosen by the parties, not by the government.
"The election campaign schedule resulted from a coordinated meeting between the General Elections Committee, the Ministry of Information, the National Police Headquarters and the three political contestants," the election institute's secretary- general, Suryatna Subrata, said at the signing.
He said there would be a five-day cooling-off period after the campaign. The parties are not allowed to hold political activities outside of their headquarters during the five days.
To reduce the chance of physical clashes between the party faithful, campaign regulations outline a zoning system.
The country has been divided into three campaign zones: Sumatra, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Timor in group one; Java, Maluku and Irian Jaya in group two; and Kalimantan and Sulawesi in group three.
The election schedule says that each party will have nine days to campaign in any given district.
The PPP will start its campaign in Sumatra, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and East Timor. Golkar's will start in Java, Maluku and Irian Jaya. The PDI's will start in Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
The PDI's message will be broadcast on television and radio on the first day of the campaign. The PPP's will appear on the second day and Golkar's on the third day. Golkar's message will be broadcast on the final day of the campaign.
Suryatna said topics of discussion and lists of campaigners and moderators should be submitted to the election committee by April 16.
Chairman of the elections institute Moch. Yogie S.M. said the three parties should be happy with the schedule which they helped draft.
Opportunity
"Each candidate will get equal opportunity, treatment and service in the election campaign throughout Indonesia," Yogie said.
He said each party would have five minutes to campaign after each evening news broadcast.
The PPP and PDI had aired their concerns that the government would give Golkar more air time because it had the government's backing.
The country's private- and state-owned media is controlled by Minister of Information Harmoko, who is also Golkar chairman.
Yogie said the Indonesian government would not invite foreigners to observe the election but would consider welcoming them if they applied for permission to observe.
Ismail said he was happy because the government had accommodated his party's wishes.
"The objection raised by some of our branches have all been accommodated. There should not be any problems," Ismail, better known as Buya, said.
"We now only need to follow the government's instruction and prepare ourselves for the campaign," he added.
Harmoko said he was happy with the campaign schedule.
PDI chairman Soerjadi said he expected the government, as the election's organizer, would treat the parties equally and fairly.
But Budi Hardjono of the PDI central board said the election campaign would do little to help the party win votes.
"Only the party's consolidation will help us raise the number of PDI seats in the House of Representatives," he said.
The PPP, the dominant Golkar and the PDI will contest 425 of the 500 seats in the House in the May 29 election. The remaining 75 seats will be held by the Armed Forces because its members do not vote. (imn)
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