PPP leader urges campaign boycott

SURAKARTA (JP): A local United Development Party (PPP) leader has called for a boycott of the upcoming election campaign, saying the rules were made to benefit the dominant political organization, Golkar.

Chief the Surakarta (Solo) PPP chapter Mudrick Setiawan Sangidu said the campaign rules "castrated" the rights of PPP and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

"I've proposed that PPP should not take part in the election campaign," he said in a post-Idul Fitri gathering with party members in the ancient city Monday night.

The election campaign is set for April 27 to May 23. Election day is May 29.

PPP objects to the rule that requires contestants to register all vehicles to be used in the campaigns with the authorities.

The party also frowns on the rule that makes it obligatory for political campaigners to submit their draft broadcast speeches to electoral officials for editing, Sangidu said.

The minority PDI has aired a similar objection to the regulations. The government claims the rules were made based on dialog with party officials.

"What are the rules all about?" Sangidu said. "Who on earth is supposed to be voting, the people or the government? It's funny that materials for dialogs are subject to editing by the government."

Criticism of the regulations also came from political observer Cornelis LAY of Yogyakarta's Gadjah Mada University.

He said the rules have created a negative impression of the government.

"The public will think the government made the rules to help a certain contestant win the general election at the cost of the others."

He said the rules were prompted by fears that street rallies, if they had been allowed in this year's election campaign, could spiral out of control and turn into riots.

"But by the same token, people might run wild because they feel they are being restricted by the regulations," he said.

Political scholar Soehardjo S.S., from Semarang's Diponegoro University, agreed that the electoral rules hurt PPP and PDI's interests .

He said the two minority parties should seek an explanation from the government on why it is being so restrictive in the election campaign regulations.

He said the increasing cases of violence prior to the last election might have provoked the government to set the rules. (har/pan)