ID :
39423
Wed, 01/07/2009 - 21:26
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/39423
The shortlink copeid
PKS` ANTI-ISRAEL RALLY SUSPECTED TO BE ELECTIORAL CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY
Jakarta, Jan 7 (ANTARA) - A member of the General Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) suspects that the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) had carried out an electoral campaign activity by holding a peaceful demonstration against Israel last week.
Bambang Eka Cahya Widodo, the Bawaslu member, said here on Wednesday the demonstration involving thousands of people was a form of electoral campaigning because party flags were seen at the rally.
"There was also an oration, which according to me, was actually an elaboration on the party's international vision and mission," he said on the sidelines of a meeting of the honorary board of the General Elections Commission (KPU).
Based on the evidence, the demonstration could therefore be considered as a form of electoral campaigning, he said.
Indonesia plans to hold legislative elections next April which would be followed by a presidential election later this year.
Another Bawaslu member, Wahidah Suaib, meanwhile said the showing of the party's elections number during the demonstration also indicated that the party was trying to familiarize the party's participation in the general elections.
"PKS must have been aware that now is the campaigning period and it is also a participant of the 2009 general elections. If no intention of campaigning was there party number must not have appeared in the demonstration," she said.
She said Bawaslu planned to report the case to the police headquarters in three days' time. If PKS is proven to have carried out an elections campaign it means it has violated the KPU regulation on campaigning.
PKS president Tifatul Sembiring denied when asked if his party indeed had carried out an elections campaign during the demonstration.
"This is a human rights violation problem. The theme of the oration was stop killings. There was no campaigning to ask people (to choose PKS)," he said.
He said the party flags in the demonstration were mere for showing identity. He said the action was not party campaigning and no deliberate motive behind it.
He said PKS had also received a permit from the police for the holding of the demonstration. "Bawaslu must view it in a clear persepective. We will only conduct campaigning according to the rules. If a rally is not allowed now we will not do it," he said.
Earlier the general elections supervisory committee (Panwaslu) of Jakarta had reported the case to the Jakarta police but an expose of the case failed to be done because the action had been considered a demonstration and not a campaign.
Bambang Eka Cahya Widodo, the Bawaslu member, said here on Wednesday the demonstration involving thousands of people was a form of electoral campaigning because party flags were seen at the rally.
"There was also an oration, which according to me, was actually an elaboration on the party's international vision and mission," he said on the sidelines of a meeting of the honorary board of the General Elections Commission (KPU).
Based on the evidence, the demonstration could therefore be considered as a form of electoral campaigning, he said.
Indonesia plans to hold legislative elections next April which would be followed by a presidential election later this year.
Another Bawaslu member, Wahidah Suaib, meanwhile said the showing of the party's elections number during the demonstration also indicated that the party was trying to familiarize the party's participation in the general elections.
"PKS must have been aware that now is the campaigning period and it is also a participant of the 2009 general elections. If no intention of campaigning was there party number must not have appeared in the demonstration," she said.
She said Bawaslu planned to report the case to the police headquarters in three days' time. If PKS is proven to have carried out an elections campaign it means it has violated the KPU regulation on campaigning.
PKS president Tifatul Sembiring denied when asked if his party indeed had carried out an elections campaign during the demonstration.
"This is a human rights violation problem. The theme of the oration was stop killings. There was no campaigning to ask people (to choose PKS)," he said.
He said the party flags in the demonstration were mere for showing identity. He said the action was not party campaigning and no deliberate motive behind it.
He said PKS had also received a permit from the police for the holding of the demonstration. "Bawaslu must view it in a clear persepective. We will only conduct campaigning according to the rules. If a rally is not allowed now we will not do it," he said.
Earlier the general elections supervisory committee (Panwaslu) of Jakarta had reported the case to the Jakarta police but an expose of the case failed to be done because the action had been considered a demonstration and not a campaign.
