State ministers must maintain their professionalism and put their jobs above everything else, including the interests of their political parties during the July presidential election, State Secretary Hatta Rajasa said Monday.

“Despite allegiance to their respective parties, ministers must prioritize their ministerial responsibilities,” he said after a meeting with the House of Representatives Commission II on Internal Affairs in Senayan, South Jakarta.

Hatta also said that ministers had begun submitting their leave of absence requests to the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The requests contain their planned campaign schedule and the regions they intended to visit.

“I believe several ministers will submit their requests today,” he said.

After the forms are approved, they must conduct their campaign in accordance with that content, Hatta said.

According to Hatta, each minister is allowed to have only one day off per week for campaigning.

“They must also report the time and location of their campaign rallies and meetings. Should a minister fail to conduct their campaign in accordance with their written plan, the KPU, not the government, has the authority to punish them,” he said.

“According to a government regulation, the President also has the right to summon a minister in the middle of a campaign rally if there is an important matter that must be resolved quickly,” he added.

The commission’s recent decision to extend the campaign period has forced ministers to adjust their schedules.

“According to the regulation, ministers must submit their leave requests a week before campaigning begins,” Hatta said.

“The commission allowed campaigning to start 10 days earlier, on June 2 instead of June 12, meaning that all ministers had to submit their campaign requests today,” he said.

Hatta is one of many ministers in the current government who is involved in a presidential campaign team.

He is the campaign head for the Democratic Party, which will support incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The team also includes Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik, and State Minister for Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Suryadharma Ali.

Experts have said that ministers involved in presidential campaign teams may be distracted from their ministerial responsibilities, andclaim the campaign period could unsettle the Cabinet.

“Regardless of the fact that I am the head of a presidential campaign team, I can assure you I am fully committed to my ministerial duties.

“I can also say that I still maintain a very good relationship with other ministers involved in the campaign teams of competing candidates.”

Industry Minister Fahmi Idris heads the campaign team of SBY’s rival and Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, of the Golkar party. (hdt)

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