West Java bans early campaigning

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

The Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) in West Java has threatened to initiate legal proceedings against political parties who continue to defy campaigning laws.

West Java Panwaslu chairman Adjat Sudradjat said parties had till Sunday to remove banners and flags, as they breached election laws.

Parties are not allowed to campaign till March 11 next year before next year's general election on April 5.

Breaches of the election law in regards to campaigning early can be punished with three month jail sentence and fines of up to Rp 1 million (US$117.6).

Adjat said that Panwaslu had sent letters to all political parties eligible for the general election in West Java to remind them of the laws.

In the letters, they also urged the political parties to clear banners, flags and posters from all public places in West Java.

Most of the banners and flags could be found around Jl. Pelajar Pejuang and Jl. Peta in Bandung, where most of the headquarters of the party's chapters are located, including, among others, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, the National Awakening Party, Golkar Party, the National Mandate Party and the United Development Party.