Surjadi reprimands poll contenders
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja, in his capacity as chairman of the Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Elections Committee, reprimanded yesterday the three political groups for breaking the rules.
In a meeting held to evaluate the first three days of campaigning, Surjadi told Jakarta representatives of the United Development Party (PPP), Golkar and the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) they should prevent a repeat of the violations in the next round of election campaigns.
"I ask you to stick to our agreements, and maintain order for the rest of the campaign period," Surjadi was quoted by his secretary Bagus Suharyono as saying.
No sanctions have been imposed on any of the political organizations.
Chairman of Golkar's Jakarta branch Tadjus Sobirin, his PDI counterpart Lukman Mokoginta, deputy chairman of PPP's Jakarta branch Saud Rahman, and chairman of the Jakarta branch of the Election Supervision Committee Fachry Qasim were also present.
Fachry said the motorcade by PPP supporters Tuesday was an obvious violation of the election rules.
Street rallies are banned in this year's election campaign. Golkar had planned to protest PPP's violation of the rules, but its supporters held similar motorcades yesterday in Jakarta and other cities.
Fachry said the PPP supporters could face criminal charges. He declined to elaborate, saying the police were investigating.
Bagus declined to comment on the violation by Golkar, saying the matter would be discussed in the second evaluation meeting Saturday.
Bagus said Surjadi rapped the three groups over the knuckles for failing to keep order during their campaign activities in the capital city.
Saud admitted PPP supporters had made mistakes, and promised to deliver Surjadi's reproach to the party's leadership board.
"We take the blame for conducting street rallies and for removing the banners of the other poll contenders (by supporters)," Saud said.
The Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) also said yesterday it was concerned over the violations that have occurred during the first three days of the campaign.
In a press release signed by secretary-general Mulyana W. Kusumah, the KIPP warned the government of the immature behavior of people, especially in the form of unruly street rallies.
"The masses tend to feel they hold power while they are on a motorcade, committing traffic violations and causing public anxiety," the statement said.
It also said that vandalism, violence and the government's favoritism toward Golkar had marred the first three days of the election campaign.
The KIPP define vandalism as the stealing of flags and banners belonging to Golkar and the government-recognized PDI.
It revealed a list of violent behavior which included the beating of a Surabaya-based daily Surya journalist by supporters of Golkar, the stabbing of a PPP activist in Yogyakarta and brawls that halted a PDI rally in Surabaya.
"Such violence may pave the way for collective violence if the government fails to take quick responses to this trend," the KIPP statement said.
The KIPP concluded that the violations in the first three days of the campaign could sow apathy among people who are not involved in the election campaign. (ste/amd)