City takes down political banners

DENPASAR: A team of officials from the Election Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu), the Bali General Elections Commission (KPUD), the Public Order Agency and a Denpasar police task force took down hundreds of political party banners in Denpasar on Tuesday.

The banners, advertising legislative candidates and political parties running in the 2009 general elections, were displayed over main streets and in front of public offices and city parks, areas not to be used for any political advertising according to an MoU signed by political parties and the Bali KPUD last month.

As many as 25 banners advertising political parties, 42 banners advertising legislative candidates and more than 500 flags, pamphlets and posters were taken down.

Golkar was the most numerous violator with eight banners, followed by the Concern for National Functioning Party (PKPB) with four banners.

Three banners from the Marhaenisme Indonesian National Party (PNI) and the Democratic Party were removed. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) had the most flags.

Denpasar Panwaslu chief Wayan Made Gunawan said the team would have taken down more political advertisement but it lacked the manpower to do so. He urged all political parties to stop placing advertisements in areas covered by the MoU. -- JP