PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS TO START JUNE 2

Jakarta, May 28 (ANTARA) - The General Elections Commission (KPU) has set June 2 as the start of campaigning for the presidential election on July 8.

"Campaigns will start on June 2, 2009 and end on July 4 or two days before the polls," KPU member Andi Nurpati said here on Wednesday, flanked by other KPU member, Syamsulbahri.

The first day of campaigning will be filled with a joint campaign by the three pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates namely Jusuf Kalla and Wiranto, Megawati Soekarnoputri and Prabowo Subianto and Soesilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Boediono.

From June 2 though June 12 the candidates would be allowed to hold only indoor campaigning as rallies were scheduled from June 13 to July 4.

"It is up to them to determine the form of campaigning (from June 2 to 13) so long as it is not against Law Number 42 of 2008 on presidential campaign," he said at a press conference at the KPU Media Center.

KPU has decided to move forward the campaign schedule following its decision to speed up the formal announcement of presidential and vice presidential candidates on May 29 from initially scheduled on June 8 or 9.

"On May 29 KPU will conduct a plenary meeting to confirm the presidential and vice presidential candidates and later on May 30 will hold an open plenary meeting to draw candidacy numbers which would also be attended by the candidates concerned as well as their campaign teams and political party leaders.

The changes in the schedule of stages in the presidential election have been put in revised KPU Regulation Number 45/2009. The campaign schedule is initially set from June 12 to July 4.

When asked about the announcement of the wealth reports of the candidates Andi said it would be done after KPU confirmed the candidates.

"KPU will make known their wealth reports to the public. We will first verify them before announcing them," he said.