Rule violations abound in campaign's first 9 days

JAKARTA (JP): The government and the three parties agreed yesterday there had been an abundance of rule infringements in the first third of the 27-day election campaign.

"Improve your campaigning and stop the violations," Yogie S.M., the General Elections Institute chairman, told the leaders of the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

"We are now in the third round of the election campaign. There should not be any more problems in the remaining rounds of campaigning," he told reporters afterward.

Also yesterday, Armed Forces Chief Gen. Feisal Tanjung said there had to be no more street rallies or vehicle convoys for the rest of the campaign.

"All procedures have been clearly spelled out. Street rallies and motorcades are prohibited," he said, without elaborating what action the authorities might take to prevent motorcades.

And Election Supervision Committee Chairman Singgih said that all three contestants had violated campaign rules in the first week of campaigning.

He categorized the infringements as administrative, political and criminal in nature. He also said there were 14 campaign participants currently being questioned for criminal offenses, including those involved in the attack on two PPP offices in Yogyakarta last Wednesday.

"The infringements I mentioned excluded traffic violations, which have also been very numerous," he said.

He refused to mention which contestant committed the most violations but conceded that some had been committed by people who were not affiliated to any of the political parties.

PPP deputy chairman Jusuf Syakir and Golkar secretary-general Ary Mardjono agreed.

"Our party's flags were removed, our supporters were pelted with stones (by unidentified people) seeking to provoke our supporters to fight back and violate rules," Jusuf said.

Ary cited attacks on houses and properties belonging to Golkar members, removal of the grouping's flags as well as physical threats against its members.

However, he conceded that there were Golkar members who were involved in banned street rallies.

As for the Golkar supporters' attack on two PPP offices in Yogyakarta, Ary said the public should wait for the results of the police investigation.

Sajid Soetjoro, a PDI deputy chairman, complained about local administrators' unfair treatment toward the party. He cited the North Barito regent in Central Kalimantan who ordered PDI flags and banners to be removed from his area.

Speaking in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, PDI chief Soerjadi called on the government to relax the campaign rules.

"I wonder if the government has the wisdom and is willing to learn from (the past campaign days) and avoid rigid rules," he said.

He said the government's ban on street rallies had taken the sparkle out of the campaign.

"The general election is dubbed a fiesta of democracy, but this year it is anything but because the government has imposed too many restrictions," he complained.

Soerjadi suggested that the government ban street rallies only on pivotal main roads, but let supporters of each poll contestant to parade around kampongs.

"Street rallies stimulate social contact between a political organization and its grassroots supporters," he said.

He also criticized the police for preventing the PDI's South Jakarta branch from distributing plastic bags bearing the party's bull's head symbol to shoppers Thursday. He said the program had been impromptu.

"I don't know the reasons for banning the glad-handing which would have had a minimal possibility of inciting conflict," he said. (imn/amd)

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