Rallies banned in next year's electioneering

Rallies banned in next year's electioneering

JAKARTA (JP): The government has issued a new election
campaigning rule, formally banning the street rallies and convoys
of political supporters in trucks or on motorbikes that in the
past were the highlights of the election period.

Attorney General Singgih announced yesterday the issuance of
Government Regulation No. 99/1996 on Dec. 24. He said
electioneering could only take the form of public assemblies,
media broadcasts, and leaflets, flyers and other printed matter.

Singgih used two terms for public assemblies -- namely rapat
umum (assemblies in open spaces in which people listen to
vote-chasers' speeches) and pertemuan umum (a more limited
gathering, either in an open or closed space, in which people
engage in dialog with the political contestants' vote-chasers).

The only materials campaigners can deliver during the election
campaign are the political contestants' programs which are based
on the state ideology Pancasila.

"Street rallies are now entirely banned," Singgih said, in his
capacity as chairman of the Inspection Board of the National
Election Committee.

Singgih explained the rule was meant to educate the people,
increase their political awareness and strengthen national unity.

The government this year decided to revise the election
campaign rules and sought to reduce mass rallies, despite
protests by two political parties. The government insisted that
mass rallies during past elections usually turned into brawls.

In addition election campaigning is to be conducted in
specially designated zones. The regulation divides the country
into six campaign regions; each day during the proposed 27-day
campaign period, each political grouping would campaign in two
regions.

Region I is for provinces in Sumatra; region II for provinces
in Java; region III for provinces of Bali, West and East Nusa
Tenggara and East Timor; region IV for provinces in Kalimantan;
region V for provinces in Sulawesi; and region VI for the
provinces of Maluku and Irian Jaya.

The zoning is meant to prevent supporters of one political
group from running into another group's supporters, thereby
reducing the potential for clashes.

Singgih, however, reiterated the need to maintain alertness.
He said public assemblies have to be held with proper permits,
and it was the responsibility of both security officers and the
political contestants to safeguard the events.

Singgih also said that according to the new rule, the police
would have the authority to stop an election campaign gathering
should violations occur.

Asked about possible measures to be taken against violators,
Singgih said it would depend on the kind of violations. He
categorized violations as "administrative, political, or
criminal" in nature.

Administrative violations include, for instance, when
political contestants present speakers who are different from
those listed when applying for permits.

An example of what he called a "criminal offense" is if
speakers insult the other contestants. He identified as
"political offenses" violations which cannot be categorized into
either of the two previous categories.

Three political organizations -- the Golkar grouping, the
United Development Party, and the Indonesian Democratic Party --
will compete in the 1997 general elections.

The three political organizations will vie for 425 seats in
the 500-member House of Representatives. The remaining 75 seats
are reserved for members of the Armed Forces, who do not vote in
elections. (08)