PPP to help kick off campaign's first day

JAKARTA (JP): Millions of supporters of the United Development Party (PPP) are expected to enliven the first day of campaigning in the city, along with supporters of nine other parties contesting the June 7 general election.

Other major parties, including the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PAN) and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), will take their turns campaigning in the city in the following days.

The ruling Golkar Party will get its first opportunity to campaign in Jakarta on the last day of the first round of campaigning.

The campaign schedule (see table below) for the 48 parties contesting the polls was announced on Wednesday by the chairman of the Jakarta Provincial Elections Committee (PPD I), Djafar Badjebe, at City Hall.

"It's the final schedule," Djafar, who is also the chairman of PPP's Jakarta chapter, said.

As reported earlier, the 17-day campaign period in the capital will begin on May 19 with a city-wide parade of the 48 parties' flags and the official raising of the flags at 108 spots throughout the city.

The campaign period has been divided into three rounds lasting five days each. Campaigning will begin on May 20, and each day of campaigning will feature either nine or 10 parties.

According to Djafar, parties designated to campaign on the same day have been urged to discuss the schedules of their campaign activities.

That is why the campaign sites and the times of the campaign will be announced by the parties, he said.

Unlike in previous polls, the authorities have banned street rallies. Campaign rallies should only take place in open fields or buildings. However, many people worry street rallies, which often end in violence, cannot be avoided.

In order to minimize the possibility of clashes among party supporters, PPD I designed the campaign schedule so major parties would not campaign on the same day.

On the second day of campaigning, the PKB will campaign along with eight other parties, including the Justice and Unity Party (PKP).

On day three of the campaign, PAN will share the city with nine other parties, including the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and the Justice Party.

On day four, the city is expected to turn red with millions of supporters of PDI Perjuangan coming out to support their party.

According to Djafar, the campaign schedule was jointly formed during a meeting with representatives of the 48 parties.

He said it also was agreed on at the meeting to cancel the plan to campaign at the provincial level.

"We have decided campaign activities will only be held at the subdistrict, district and mayoralty levels because we consider campaigning at the provincial level too broad and could easily spark clashes among party supporters," he said.

Canceling campaigning at the provincial level means, for example, party members from East Jakarta would not be allowed to hold campaign rallies outside of East Jakarta.

There also will be security officials and security task forces from the parties who will help ensure campaign rules are adhered to, Djafar said.

He said even though the schedule was considered final, it still could be changed.

"Political parties are still given the opportunity to change days with other parties as long as they can agree with each other. Also, they should first report to PPD I," he said.

Parties will be allowed to campaign from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Djafar said if any parties were proved to have caused chaos, they would be punished under the General Elections Commission's decree No.13/1999.

The decree stipulates the rules for campaign activities and the sanctions to be imposed on parties which violate the rules.

"It could go as far as the disqualification of the guilty party from the campaign," Djafar said. (ind/ylt)

Preliminary schedule of campaign for parties in Jakarta:

1st day (May 20): New Indonesia Party (PIB), Indonesian Christian Nationalist (Krisna) Party, Supeni's Indonesian National Party (PNI-Supeni), Indonesian Democrats Alliance Party (PADI), Indonesian Muslim Awakening (Kami) Party, Islamic People Party, United Believers Awakening Party (PKU), United Development Party (PPP), Indonesian United Islam Party (PSII) and MKGR (Deliberation, Work and Cooperation) Party.

2nd day (May 21): National Awakening Party (PKB), Justice and Unity Party (PKP), All-Indonesian Workers Solidarity (SPSI) Party, Indonesian Nation National Party (PNBI), Indonesian Unity in Diversity Party (PBI), National United Solidarity Party, Democratic National Party (PND), Indonesian Muslim Party (PUMI) and Indonesian Workers Party (PPI).

3rd day (May 22): National Mandate Party (PAN), Crescent Star Party (PBB), Workers' Solidarity Party (PSP), Justice Party, Nahdlatul Ummat (NU) Party, PNI-Front Marhaenis, Independence Vanguard Party, Republic Party, Democratic Islam Party PID) and People's Consensus (Murba) Party.

4th day (May 23): Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Abul Yatama Party, Independent Nationalist Party, Love the Nation Democratic Party (PDKB), Democratic People's Party (PRD), Indonesian United Islam Party (PSII) - 1905, Democratic Catholic Party (PKD), People's Choice (Pilar) Party, Indonesian People's Party (PRI) and Masyumi Islamic Political Party.

5th day (May 24): New Masyumi Party, PNI-Massa Marhaen, Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI), Golkar Party, United Party, Indonesian Uni-democracy Party (PUDI), National Labor Party, People's Rule Party (PDR) and Love Peace Party.

Note: The campaign period will be staged in three rounds with five days allocated per round. Names of campaigning parties will remain the same for all three rounds. Schedule variations are permissible only with the agreement of the involved parties.

Source: Jakarta Provincial Elections Committee.