Jakarta – The General Elections Commission (KPU) and the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) will soon issue a joint decree encouraging television stations to air the track records of presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
The move will provide the public with information on the candidates' background and educate voters, KPI member Bimo Nugroho said on Wednesday.
He suggested that the stations reveal information on retired general Wiranto, the presidential candidate of the Golkar Party, including his alleged links to human rights violations in the Trisakti and Semanggi shooting incidents, and rioting in East Timor.
Other presidential contenders he named included retired general Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of the Democratic Party and Abdurrahman 'Gus Dur' Wahid of the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Also on the list is incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Mr Amien Rais of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Mr Hamzah Haz of the United Development Party (PPP).
The decree would also regulate advertising by presidential candidates on television during the one-month campaign period from June 1.
"The decree will allow presidential candidates to advertise on television for longer than was permitted during the legislative election campaign period as long as it does not exceed 20 per cent of a TV station's daily airtime," Mr Bimo said.
The KPU and KPI earlier issued a joint decree for the legislative election campaign permitting 24 political parties to place advertisements on television with a maximum of 10 slots of 30 seconds each, per station, per day.
Mr Bimo said the longer duration for the presidential campaign would be permitted because there would be fewer contestants in the July 5 vote.
He added: "We hope the candidates will focus more on their programmes, instead of just promoting their names or symbols as was the case in the legislative election campaign."
Currently, there are 13 national television stations, including state-owned TVRI. For the legislative election, the PDI-P reportedly spent 39 billion rupiahs (S$7.4 million) on advertising. Golkar spent 21 billion rupiahs and other parties less than six billion rupiahs. Most of the money was spent on TV advertisements.
Mr Bimo said the new joint decree would prohibit candidates from buying special or "blocking' time on television. "If there is a talk show that supports a particular candidate's campaign, the TV station should put out an announcement that it's an advertisement," he said.
The Centre for Electoral Reform said the decree would also urge the KPU and television stations to organise a debate.