Poll watchdog reports PPP, PKB to police

Poll watchdog reports PPP, PKB to police

Leony Aurora, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Central Jakarta Elections Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu)
reported the United Development Party (PPP) and the National
Awakening Party (PKB) to the police on Tuesday for campaign
violations.

The committee's deputy chairman, Dedi Suhardadi, said that PPP
members staged a march on Jan. 4 and distributed stickers bearing
the slogan "Vote for the PPP", and the party's logo and election
number.

"This is an obvious invitation to people to vote for the PPP,"
Dedi told a media briefing after filing the complaint with the
Central Jakarta Police.

The PKB held a similar march on Dec. 28, 2003. Although the
participants did not distribute election paraphernalia, they wore
party attributes and marched along main thoroughfares.

Reports quoted one of the PKB's chairmen, Alwi Shihab, as
calling the march an example of "soft campaigning".

"From the committee's point of view, there's no soft or hard
campaigning. There's only campaigning, period!" said Dedi.

Samples of the PPP stickers along with media clippings were
submitted as evidence.

Article 138 of the Election Law stipulates that those found
guilty of campaigning before the official campaign period between
March 11 and April 1 will be liable to a maximum sentence of
three months in jail and a Rp 1 million (US$117.6) fine.

The law provides for brief court proceedings in such cases,
with a verdict being required within 30 days of a complaint being
made to the police.