T

he upcoming elections will provide for some fierce campaign battles, as many of the nation’s media empires are owned by or have ties to political party leaders.

The latest media kingpin to enter the political scene was Hary Tanoesoedibjo, who was elected chairman of the NasDem Party’s board of experts. Hary attended the party’s national leadership meeting in Jakarta on Wednesday, confirming his decision to join the newly-established party after weeks of speculation over whether he would wade into politics.

Hary is president of MNC group, with media business spanning television (RCTI, Global TV, MNC TV), radio (Sindo Radio), print (Seputar Indonesia) and online media (Okezone.com). He is the second media tycoon to be affiliated with NasDem.

The party is connected with the National Democrat mass organization, cofounded by Surya Paloh, the owner of Metro TV and Media Indonesia daily.

Hary’s decision to join the NasDem Party added to the difficult relationship between political parties and the mass media, which has enjoyed new freedom since the downfall of Soeharto’s authoritarian regime.

Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie is believed to have strong media influence of his own, as his family partly owns TV One and ANTV.

Television companies such as Trans TV and Trans 7, as well as Indonesia’s biggest news portal, Detik.com, are owned by Chairul Tanjung, who has close ties with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his Democratic Party.

Their close relationship was especially apparent when Yudhoyono summoned Chairul to his residence at Cikeas to seek the latter’s advice on overhauling the Cabinet.

Media observers and political analysts have been squeamish about the growing marriage between politics and the media.

Burhanuddin Muhtadi, a political observer from the Indonesian Survey Institute, said the trend of “politicized” media was a serious threat to Indonesia’s budding democracy.

“The rampant affiliations between the media and political parties are bad signs for our democracy,” he said. “The media is expected to be neutral and free of political biases. That is how [the media] serves its role of informing the public.”

Press Council chief Bagir Manan disagreed: “As long as the media [affiliated with political parties] upholds journalistic ethics and covers all sides and gives voice to different political views, there is no problem.”

Priyambodo, the executive director of the Dr. Soetomo Press Institute, said the trend in Indonesia was not unusual, pointing to the fact that politics and the media had close relationships in Western countries such as England, Italy and the US.

Politicians without ties to major media outlets are concerned about the trend and plan to prevent media outlets from being abused in favor of specific political interests.

United Development Party (PPP) secretary general M. Romahurmuziy said limits to the use of media could be included in the revision of the Legislative Election Law, which is being deliberated at the House of Representatives. “It’s necessary to uphold neutrality and prevent unhealthy competition due to the involvement of media owners in politics.”