Radio stations pledge to remain neutral in polls

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

As the general election draws near, radio stations have drawn up a manual to help their employees remain neutral while covering the elections.

Zainal A. Suryokusumo from the Election Monitoring Radio Network (JRPP) said radio practitioners drew up the manual to expand on and clarify existing regulations.

"This manual is aimed at reducing the level of partisanship among radio people during the elections," he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The country will hold a legislative election on April 5, which will be contested by 24 political parties.

Parties and coalitions garnering 3 percent of the seats in the House of Representatives or 5 percent of the total vote will be allowed to take part in the country's first ever direct presidential election on July 5, with a second round on Sept. 20 if necessary.

Earlier, Smita Notosusanto from the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) expressed fear that radio stations would be controlled by political parties during the election campaign.

Unlike the print media, according to Smita, radio stations offer a more personal relationship with listeners, which could encourage politicians to control as many radio stations as possible.

Smita, who has been actively campaigning for free and fair elections across the country, regretted that some presenters at radio stations had not given up their positions despite being nominated as legislative candidates by various parties.

She made these comments during the launch here of a book titled Radio and the 2004 Elections. The book was jointly written by the JRPP, CETRO and Friedrich-Naumann-Stiftung.

Zainal said radio stations had recommended that presenters or reporters who had been nominated as legislative candidates keep their positions as presenters or reporters.

JRPP activist Cahaya Sinaga said the group had facilitated training for radio journalists to enable them to provide the public with useful information during the elections.

"We radio people are prepared to cover election activities," she said.

Cahaya said radio people understood their role and function in the elections, as well as the principle of neutrality.

According to her, radio stations had agreed to ban presenters from campaigning for any political party, in an attempt to avoid partisanship.