INDONESIA HOPES TO SEE PEACEFUL, FAIR PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS by Fardah

    Jakarta, March 20, 2014 (Antara) - As part of the 21-day campaign period for the parliamentary elections on April 9, 2014, campaign activities have been going on relatively peacefully throughout the country over the last four days.

          This is in line with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's hope voiced late last year when he wished there would be peaceful, successful, democratic, fair, and orderly legislative and presidential elections in 2014, as those held in 2004 and 2009, when Indonesia had its first and second direct and democratic elections.

         And this is also in accordance with the commitment expressed by leaders of the 12 political parties fielding candidates in the 2014 legislative elections, in a joint "campaign integrity" declaration organized at National Monument Square (Monas) in Jakarta, on March 15, 2014.

         They pledged to maintain the security and integrity of the campaign period carried out from March 16 to April 5, 2014.

          The declaration was read before the chief and seven commissioners of the General Elections Commission (KPU) as well as hundreds of members of the political parties.

         After reading the declaration, the leaders of the 12 political parties signed the declaration and joined hands to demonstrate their commitment to waging a peaceful campaign.

           The 12 prominent politicians in attendance were Taufik Basari of NasDem, Muhaimin Iskandar of PKB, Taufik Ridlo of PKS, Tjahjo Kumolo of PDIP, Syarif Cicip Sutardjo of Golkar, Suhardi of Gerindra, Syarief Hasan of Demokrat, Hatta Rajasa of PAN, Suryadarma Ali of PPP, Wiranto of Hanura, Abdurrahman Tauhid of PBB, and Sutiyoso from PKP Indonesia.

             The document noted, "We, the participating political party of the general elections 2014, under the spirit of unity and brotherhood, express our readiness to make elections which are safe, orderly, peaceful, quality, and of great integrity for the sake of the national progress and welfare, and for the sake of the unity of Indonesia."
    "We, the participating political parties of the general elections 2014, declare that we are ready to implement fair and just general elections to adhere to Indonesian democratic values, based on Pancasila state ideology and the 1945 Constitution."
   At the joint declaration, political parties also called election organizers to work fairly and transparently to prevent potential conflicts.   
    The general election organizer is Indonesia's General Elections Commission (KPU) supported by institutions such as the General Elections Supervisory Body Bawaslu), the National Police, and the Government Goods and Service Procurement Policy Agency (LKPP).

        KPU Chief Husni Kamil Manik at the declaration event said that campaign activities are a means for the political parties and individuals to inform their programs to the public.

          He urged the campaign participants to prioritize unity and become role models of the society. Money politics, intimidation and violence must be avoided, he said. 
    Similar declarations were organized throughout Indonesia where the campaign participants pledged to hold peaceful and fair campaign activities.       
    KPU commissioner Ferry Kurnia Rizkiyansyah recently hailed the political parties' commitment to participating in the KPU's campaign season in a responsible manner.

         "Election campaigns don't have to involve chaos. We want to remind all people that this election belongs to them," he said.

         Earlier, President Yudhoyono said all parties should unite to maintain the state's sovereignty and defend the country's territorial integrity.

          "We are one," said Yudhoyono, who will end his term this year and, by law, he will no longer be able to seek reelection because he has been in the post for two terms.   
     Indonesia will hold legislative elections on April 9 and presidential elections on July 9, 2014.

           Of the 34 political parties verified by the KPU last year, 15 parties consisting of 12 national level parties and three local Aceh parties,  have been declared eligible to participate in the general elections 2014      
    The number of political parties to participate in the 2014 general elections is much less than those in 2004 which was 24, and in 2009 which was 34.

          The national parties are National Democratic Party (NasDem), National Awakening Party (PKB), Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), Golkar Party, Gerindra, Democratic Party (PD), National Mandate Party (PAN), United Development Party (PPP),  anura, Crescent and Star Party (PBB), and Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI).  The three local parties are  The Aceh's Peace Party (PDA), Aceh's National Party (PNA), and Aceh Party (PA).

          Campaigning is expected to be relatively peaceful throughout Indonesia, despite fierce competition from more than 19,000 candidates contesting for legislative seats at the national, provincial and district legislative councils. 
   The KPU has decided that each of the 12 political parties will have the opportunity to hold seven campaign events in each of the country's 77 electoral districts between March 16 and April 5.   In total, a party will be able to stage up to 539 campaign events over 21 days.   
   There will also be a three-day pre-election cooling-off period before some 185.8 million Indonesian voters make their choice on April 9.   
    They will cast their votes at 545,778 polling stations in 81,034 villages in 6,980 sub-districts located in 497 districts and cities in the country's 33 provinces.         
    The total number of eligible Indonesian voters living overseas is 2,010,280. They are based in 130 countries, which will have 873 polling stations.       
    Indonesia's security forces play crucial roles in ensuring smooth, peaceful and fair implementation of direct general elections to elect president, vice president and legislators in 2014.

         Therefore,  the National Police (Polri)  and the National General Election Commission (KPU) on January 16, 2013, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on security arrangements for the general elections.        
    The National Police (Polri) and the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) have pledged that they would be neutral during the election processes. 
    In line with the country's laws, military and police personnel are not allowed to vote, as they are expected to be the nonpartisan professional security forces and unifying elements of the nation. 
    Chief of the National Police General Sutarman recently noted that the police began deploying its personnel in order to intensify the security arrangements during the legislative election campaigns commencing in March.

          "We will initiate the deployment of the security personnel when the legislative election campaigning starts on March 16. The election pacification period will last for 224 days until the inauguration of the newly elected President  (in October 2014)," he recently remarked.

          In securing the election processes, the National Police is supported by the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), and, in particular, the Army (TNI AD), which has declared that securing the elections is the top priority.

             TNI Chief General Moeldoko stated that the military and police have made a commitment to provide security during the elections.  The military and police are on the front line, for safeguarding the elections, he added.

          In Jakarta alone, around 18 thousand police officers have been deployed to secure the election process, Rikwanto, a spokesman of the Jakarta Police, said, recently. ***1***
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(T.F001/A/F. Assegaf/A/A. Abdussalam) 20-03-2014 22:51:37