Political parties and the local media are not revealing crucial information about candidates set to run
in several regional

direct elections in Lampung on purpose to misguide voters and appease political parties, experts say.

Political parties have been bombarding voters only with information about their candidates that they perceive will benefit their popularity, the said.

Political observer Jauhari Zaelani from Bandar Lampung University said there was an imbalance in the prelude to the elections of excessive campaigning and a lack of dissemination of important information about candidates by political parties — despite there still be a long way to go until the start of the official campaign period as set by the Lampung General Elections Commission (KPUD).

He said the local media was also to blame for publishing almost entirely good points about candidates and not attempting to uncover or reveal their failings or past mistakes.

“In fact, several candidates have bad track records, like one regent candidate who is a graft suspect and another who manipulates land ownership to turn land into oil palm plantations. There’s also a regency candidate who was once reported to the police for domestic violence,” Jauhari said.

He said that many candidates had placed ads in media publications, but added that this was no reason for the media to not inform the public about the candidates’ darker sides.

“There is a local mainstream media in Lampung that set aside three pages to cover the elections. All [of the articles] were about the candidates. The candidates with more money automatically got more space. It appeared as though the independent candidates were being ignored because they were given little space.”

Activist Ridwan Saifuddin of the Lampung Media Centre said the lack of relevant information about candidates circulating in the media was not an accident.

“It is by design because the mass media also assists candidates in covering up cases and scandals. Just like in Way Kanan regency, there’s a candidate who was named a suspect in a land case and has been put on trial several times but the story was never published in the media,” he said.

“I’m sure the reason for that was not that journalists did not know about the land trial but because the suspect had placed ads in all local media.”

Political observer Syarif Makhya from Lampung University said  there was evidence in several regions in Lampung of political dynasties, where children of regents and powerful figures were running for election.

He said that while this was not illegal, such candidates should be scrutinized thoroughly to ensure there were not undemocratic motives behind the candidacies and that they would not harm the chances of independent candidates.

“There is suspicion about the creation of a ‘crown prince’, which could be seen as a reason to maintain power [within a family], which would be dangerous if it threatened the people,” Makhya said.

“Such a ‘crown prince’ candidate would ruin democracy.”

Lampung will host direct elections in several regions on June 30 this year. The elections will be held in cities Bandarlampung and Metro and in eight regencies — Central Lampung, East Lampung, South Lampung, Way Kanan, Pesawaran, Pringsewu, West Tulangbawang and Mesuji.

Several sons of the regional heads will run in the elections. They include Ryco Menoza — son of
Lampung Governor Sjachroedin Z.P. – who is running for South Lampung regent and Agus Mangku Negara, son of Way Kanan Regent Tamanuri, who is running for his father’s post.

Others include Andika Sepulau Raya, son of former Central Lampung regent Andy Achmad, who is running for Pesawaran deputy regent, and Heru Sambodo, son of Alzier Dianis Thabranie – chairman of Golkar Party’s Lampung chapter, who is running for  Bandarlampung deputy mayor.

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