[Kabar-indonesia] Banten poll watchdog records violations pre- election days

[Joyo at aol.com]

The Jakarta Post
Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Banten poll watchdog records violations pre-election days

Multa Fidrus , The Jakarta Post, Banten

The Banten provincial poll watchdog (Panwasda) has recorded
a number of violations allegedly committed by candidates for
governor during the current campaign period.

Panwasda chairman Gandung Ismanto said Monday most of the
violations were related to minor rule breaches. But he
alleged the incumbent governor, Ratu Atut Chosiyah, and
deputy governor, Masduki, had committed several more serious
breaches concerning the use of school students and a mayor
in the campaign.

"We have received reports on violations by the candidates
since the first day of campaigning on Friday, ranging from
the use of houses of worship and route changes, to the
placement of campaign posters in banned places," he said.

According to Ismanto, the other three pairs of candidates
running for governor, Tryana Syma'un-Benyamin Davnie, Irsyad
Djuwaeli-Daniri and Zulkiflimansyah-Marissa Haque have only
violated minor regulations set by the Banten Elections
Commission (KPUD Banten).

"However the use of minors and state officials in the
campaign is a serious offence," Gandung added, referring to
the Elections Law and a government regulation that forbids
mayors, regents, governors and district and subdistrict
administration chiefs from campaigning for any gubernatorial
candidates.

Gandung said the campaign watchdog would suggest that KPUD
Banten impose sanctions against the offending candidates.

"We will also advise KPUD Banten to halt Ratu Atut-Masduki's
campaign in Cilegon municipality, where the mayor was
involved in campaigning, because that's a serious
violation."

Cilegon Mayor Tubagus Aat Syafa'at reportedly asked
residents to vote for Ratu Atut because she had been a
deputy governor for four years and an acting governor for
one year.

The Atut-Masduki team also has put up campaign posters on
private properties belonging to a housing developer in
Bintaro, Tangerang, without the necessary permits.

"We have received a letter of complaint from the developer,"
Gandung said, adding that the team had also placed campaign
posters at other banned places such as main roads,
government buildings and schools.

Separately, Ratu Atut-Masduki campaign manager Ananta Wahana
argued that Mayor A'at's involvement was in his capacity as
a member of the Golkar party, which has endorsed Ratu Atut.
"Shutting down the entire campaign would therefore be
unfair," he said Monday.

Indra Abidin, chairman of KPUD Banten's working group for
data collection and monitoring, said the commission would
send warnings to the candidates.

"We will impose sanctions ... We may even annul their
candidacy," he said.

The campaign started last Friday and continues until later
this week. The election is scheduled for Nov. 26.

Although the election is less than two weeks away, many
residents in Tangerang regency and Tangerang municipality
lack information on the poll.

M. Soekarso, a long-term resident of community unit 14 in
Pondok Ranji subdistrict in Ciputat, Tangerang regency, said
he had heard about the upcoming election for governor, but
he still didn't want to go to the polling booth.

"I haven't received a polling card from the local election
comittee (PPS) and I wonder why none of the election
committee members have visited me and other residents here,"
the retired military officer told The Jakarta Post .

A resident of Bumi Serpong Damai housing complex in Serpong,
John Hendrik, also said that he had yet to be registered for
the election.

"I'm not the only one in my neighborhood who isn't
registered to vote," he said.

Esdon Mardani, a resident of Karang Sari subdistrict,
Neglasari, Tangerang, said he was not following the
gubernatorial election.

"It's not my business. If the local election committee
thinks that I need to vote for the next governor, then they
have to come to my home and register me."

The poll commission closed voter registration Oct. 19. It
recorded 6,216,430 registered voters at 1,841 polling
stations in the province's four regencies and two
municipalities.

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Joyo Indonesia News Service
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