11th July 2008. Political advertising and campaign rallies leading up to next year's general elections will be restricted to certain areas of Jakarta, with the Jakarta Elections Commission providing a long list of restricted zones. Advertising and rallies will not be permitted in the city center because they could detract from the city's appearance and disrupt public order, recently appointed commission chairman Juri Ardiantoro said at City Hall on Thursday.
"We'll ban campaign activities from public places if they could damage parks or result in huge losses," he said. Restricted public places include the National Monument park, Menteng Park, Suropati Park and Banteng Square, all in Central Jakarta, and the Kelapa Gading Park in North Jakarta. "But the Jakarta administration has no control over the Senayan sports complex (in Central Jakarta) when it comes to restricting campaign activities," Juri said.
He said the commission would also prohibit campaign banners and posters from being displayed along main streets and thoroughfares, or along inner city toll roads. Restricted streets include Jl. Thamrin, Jl. Medan Merdeka Utara, Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur, Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan, Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, Jl. Diponegoro and Jl. Imam Bonjol, all in Central Jakarta.
Other political advertising-free streets will be Jl. Gatot Subroto, Jl. Rasuna Said and Jl. M.T. Haryono, all in South Jakarta, as well as Jl. Sudirman in Central and South Jakarta. "Political advertising will also be restricted in other public places, such as schools, places of worship and public facilities such as bus terminals and bus shelters," he said. "In the event of breaches, the commission will ask the political parties to remove their ads displayed in the restricted places, or the commission and the Jakarta administration will do it."
The rules will come into effect Saturday, the day the official election campaign begins, he said. Juri also said the commission would establish a communications center with the administration and the Jakarta Police. Jakarta Public Order Agency head Harianto Badjuri said his team would be ready to back up the commission. "We'll act according to the commission's directive," he said. Juri said the commission, in cooperation with the administration, would issue the complete lists of the restricted places and distribute them to political parties at City Hall on Friday.
