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)