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.