PPP attacks new rule on electioneering
JAKARTA (JP): The United Development Party attacked yesterday the new electioneering rule which requires campaigners have their scripts checked by the government before starting debates live on TV or radio.
Yusuf Syakir said the rule issued last month deviated from a consensus reached by the three contestants and the government not to censor campaign materials.
"How could a political campaign dialog use a script?" asked Yusuf, the party's deputy chairman. "If we use scripts it will be like a TV soap opera," he said in a discussion on a new book Dinamika Politik Indonesia (Indonesian Political Dynamics).
In the regulation, the contestants are given air time on the state-owned television TVRI to campaign by way of speeches and discussions between party members and the general public. In the past, electioneering was dominated by street rallies.
The regulation now gives them 9 TV slots each during the campaign season which will run from April 29 to May 23. Each slot is 30 minutes and will be aired by TVRI nationwide after the 7 p.m. news.
Indonesia's five private TV stations are required to allocate time for the political campaigns. Campaigners are required to submit a script of their discussion.
"Although the new regulation is progress, it is different from the initial agreement which guaranteed contestants were free to decide how to use their time," Yusuf said.
But Yusuf's skepticism was not shared by an official from the winner of the past six elections, Golkar.
"I think the regulation does not mean there will be some kind of censorship. It's only a technicality to make sure that campaigners will not breach electioneering ethics," said Golkar member Burhan Magenda.
"I think the regulation is only meant to avoid name-calling or condemnations, which are not permitted, " explained Burhan, also a political scholar of the University of Indonesia.
The three political organizations, the PPP, Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party will contest 425 seats in the 500- seat House of Representatives in the May 29 general election. The 75 seats are reserved by the Armed Forces.
The new regulation divides the country into six campaign regions. Contestants cannot campaign in the same region on the same. They will be allowed to campaign only in two designated regions in each day.
Region I includes provinces in Sumatra; region II provinces in Java; region III provinces of Bali, West and East Nusa Tenggara and East Timor; region IV provinces in Kalimantan; region V provinces in Sulawesi and region VI provinces of Irian Jaya and Maluku. (36)