And, they’re off!: Members of the Indonesian Businessmen and Workers Party (PPPI) rally in a main street in Surabaya on Monday after the General Elections Commission (KPU) officially launched the public campaign period in Jakarta earlier that day. Party leaders (left) vowed to conduct peaceful campaigns after the official opening at the event. JP/ID Nugroho

Despite the open campaign period officially kicking off Monday, the General Elections Commission (KPU) had not settled a clear agenda on political rallies until late in that day, causing confusion among some party bodies.

KPU member Syamsulbahri said the poll body was still revising the campaign schedule to allow each party to hold two outdoor rallies per province during the 21-day period. This modification was the second within as many days.  

“We will invite political parties for a meeting Wednesday to revise the open campaign schedule,” Syamsulbahri told The Jakarta Post.

The KPU issued a regulation on the schedule for the open election campaign Friday, which allowed four parties to hold rallies on the same day.

But the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lodged a complaint against the regulation after they were only allocated one day to campaign in Bali, the PDI-P political stronghold.

According to the latest schedule from the KPU, the Concern for National Functioning Party (PKPB), Indonesian Workers and Entrepreneur (PPPI), Republican Party and Golkar Party would be the first to hold an open rally Tuesday.

The Golkar Party said it had decided not to hold a rally Tuesday.

“We will only hold an open rally in Jakarta on March 28,” the party’s deputy secretary general Rully Chairul Azwar said.

Jakarta is home to seven million of Indonesia's 171 million eligible voters for the legislative elections.

Chairman of the Republican Party, Sys NS, said the party would not take to the streets to conduct its campaign.

“We will just hold a press conference Tuesday. Our Jakarta provincial branch will distribute flowers to motorists in the Cawang area,” he said.

The KPU’s campaign guidelines say each party can host both indoor and limited outdoor meetings during the nine-month campaign period, which began in July last year.

Large outdoor rallies, however, can only take place between March 16 and April 5.

“We expect with the nine-month campaign having almost come to a close there would not be so many large-scale rallies, as party supporters prefer the more closed-door affairs now,” Syamsulbahri said.

Earlier in the day, the 38 political parties contesting the April 9 legislative election pledged to maintain nationwide peace during their open campaign period.

Representatives from the parties signed a joint commitment to peace witnessed by around 2,200 party supporters during a gathering at Kemayoran Convention Hall in Central Jakarta.   

KPU chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary called on all election contestants to refrain from acts of violence and smear campaigns during the election process.

“We ask all parties to comply with the campaign rules, including to promote their agendas without insulting each other. We want the parties to compete in peace,” he told party representatives.

During the open campaign period, around 200,000 police officers, two-thirds of its total force, will secure election sites and receive back-up from the Indonesian Military and the community security (Linmas) force, National Police deputy chief Comr. Gen. Makbul Padmanegara said during the event.

Each party was given three minutes to speak at the event about its commitment to a peaceful rally, as well as to review some of their key initiatives to attract voters.

The election excitement began to fill the air as party supporters yelled their campaign slogans, waving flags and banners throughout the proceedings.        

At the Presidential Palace, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on all parties to make the upcoming legislative elections another success in Indonesia’s democratic history.

The President asked all party participants to follow the existing regulations regarding campaign procedures, and called on citizens to use their right to vote.

“Let’s answer the challenge of history and make Indonesia a mature democracy that can be a model for the world,” Yudhoyono said.

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