President, VP to take days off for campaigns

President, VP to take days off for campaigns

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Vice President Hamzah Haz says he has agreed with President
Megawati Soekarnoputri to take turns in running the government
during the 2004 campaign period.

Hamzah said he had discussed the issue with Megawati and that
they had agreed to each take 10 days off for their respective
campaigns for the upcoming elections.

The official campaign period spans 20 days.

"The schedule, however, will depend on the campaign schedule
of our respective parties," Hamzah said on Monday after a Cabinet
meeting discussing campaign mechanisms for state officials.

Hamzah also pledged not to use state facilities during his
campaigns, including airplanes and cars, and added that he would
not hire bodyguards during the campaign, as his party had already
made security preparations.

Megawati is chairperson of the Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), while Hamzah heads the Muslim-based
United Development Party (PPP). Both have made known their plans
to run for president in the first-ever direct presidential
elections this year.

The President and Vice President, however, would have to
notify the House of Representatives (DPR) about their respective
days off.

"This only serves to notify the House as to who will be in
charge of state affairs during the campaign period," said
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno.

A draft regulation on campaign management for state officials,
discussed at Monday's Cabinet meeting, also allowed state
officials to take leave during their campaigns.

Hari said similar arrangements also applied to state officials
at the provincial level.

"There should be no vacuum of power because regional heads or
the president are taking leave for campaigning," he said.

Since most regional heads, ministers and other politicians
hail from various political parties, the government plans to
issue a regulation on days off for state officials to partake in
election campaigns.

The regulation would also ban officials from using state
facilities such as houses, cars and other facilities for their
campaigns.

"The President and Vice President also agreed to have only a
limited security arrangement during the campaign period," Hari
said.

He said the limited security arrangement would be discussed
further with the presidential protocol and presidential guards.

"The President asked me to finish the draft before the end of
this month because the government wants to issue it before the
campaign period in March," Hari said.

Megawati had earlier urged Hari to issue the regulation as
soon as possible, as four Cabinet members, including Hamzah,
would be her opponents in the elections.

Indonesia will hold legislative elections on April 5 and its
presidential election in July, with a second round slated for
September if there is no clear winner.