REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SUKABUMI -- A presidential election team representing presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, has decided not to react to smear campaigns in Sukabumi against the duo, a spokesman said.
"We have to admit there are quite a few smear campaigns against our presidential and vice presidential candidates, but we will not make any response to them because it's such a waste of energy," Chairman of the Prabowo-Hatta team said here on Tuesday.
He added that he and other cadres of the Great Indonesian Movement (Gerindra) Party have promoted dialogs and communication with the public during political campaigns for Prabowo-Hatta.
He told the cadres not to be provoked by those conducting smear campaigns, because it would only become a disadvantage for their presidential candidates.
"We urge the public not to be affected by smear campaigns and negative issues, because we want to maintain peace and fairness during the presidential race campaign," he added.
Indonesia will hold presidential elections on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by two presidential and vice presidential pairs - Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Joko Widodo (Jokowi)-Jusuf Kalla.
Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of Gerindra (Great Indonesia Movement) Party, while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Jokowi is Jakarta's Governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while his running mate, Jusuf Kalla (JK), is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party.
The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrats Party (Nasdem) established by Surya Paloh, owner of Metro TV and the Media Indonesia newspaper.
The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Moon and Star Party (PBB), and the Golkar Party, whose current chairman is Aburizal Bakrie, owner of TV One.
The General Election Commission (KPU) has called on the media to be independent and neutral in reporting presidential race campaigns.
Electronic media, in particular, should promote political education for the public, KPU Chairman Husni Kamil Manik said in a statement here on Tuesday.
Previously, the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) said the commission was still evaluating the contents of television programs and news reporting concerning campaign activities prior to the presidential elections.
KPU Commissioner Fajar Arifianto Isnugroho said the KPI had reprimanded managers of TV One and Metro TV on June 9. KPI was currently evaluating the two television stations' programs, he said.
He said, further, that he hoped that the communication and informatics ministry would sanction them if they did not change their reporting format.
He quoted data from KPI that during May 19-25, 2014, Metro TV broadcast 184 news stories on presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and his running mate, Jusuf M Kalla, and 110 news reports on their rivals, Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa.
The broadcasting duration on Jokowi-JK was 37,577 seconds, while only 14,561 seconds for Prabowo-Hatta.
TV One broadcast 77 news reports on Jokowi-JK with a total duration of 18,731 seconds, and 153 news reports of 36,561 seconds on Prabowo-Hatta.
"Other television stations broadcast quite proportional news. SCTV is quite balanced, Kompas TV is considered proportional, although their alignment is quite obvious," Fajar said.
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