PPP and PDI say rules hurting campaigns

JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party (PPP) and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) have blamed the government's floating mass policy for the failure of their indoor rallies.

PPP media director Hisyam Usamah told The Jakarta Post yesterday that audiences' poor political education meant they could not understand the speeches at indoor rallies.

The floating mass policy bars political organizations from having subdistrict and district offices. Indoor rallies are being run in districts and subdistricts until campaigning concludes on May 23.

"We don't have branches in districts and subdistricts, so how can indoor speeches proceed effectively?" Hisyam asked.

The Moslem-based party had suggested that discussions be held on campuses but the government rejected this idea, Hisyam said.

Hundreds of people, including children and housewives, have attended indoor rallies since campaigning began on April 27. But most audiences are too shy to participate in discussions.

Party discussions have also been broadcasted by state television station TVRI. These broadcasts involve party leaders speaking to audiences selected by their respective parties.

PDI deputy secretary Romulus Sihombing has complained that the floating mass policy stops parties getting feedback from supporters.

"Our society is not ready to share fresh ideas, let alone defend the ideas. They enjoy joining street rallies instead.

"What is going on in the discussion campaigns now is miscommunication because of the extreme gap of knowledge between campaigners and audiences," Romulus said.

Hisyam said indoor discussions should eventually feature representatives of all three parties in policy debates.

"A political party uses campaigning to lure other people to vote for it. It does not need to draw sympathy from its own supporters," Hisyam said.

Hisyam's Golkar counterpart, Fahmi Alatas, said that, although they were hard to run, Golkar had got good feedback from grass- roots supporters during indoor rallies.

"Our audiences turned out to have the guts to express their complaints in public forums," Fahmi said yesterday. "We indeed benefit from of this form of campaigning."

He said that audiences' education could impede the discussions, but it should not happen if campaigners were well prepared and had adequate communication skills.

The May 29 general election pits the three government- sanctioned political organizations, Golkar, United Development Party (PPP) and Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

Under the campaigning rules, street rallies are banned and contestants are required to focus on indoor "dialog campaigns." (amd)