Political Campaign

Obama's Picture in Campaign Banner

VIVAnews - Several banners of flattering proportions are lined along the Sentani street. To be exact, they are lined just before the entrance to Jayapura city, Papua. The attention-grabbing banners were put up several weeks ago, after Barrack Obama became President-elect of the United States.

It seems that the victory of Obama, as a candidate for the Democratic Party of United States, inspired the adminsitrators of the Regional House of Representatives from the Papua Democratic Party. They even held a parade to celebrate the victory.

Then, they also put up the large banners. What's interesting from the banner is that, on the top are written the words: “The Democratic Party supports candidate of the Democratic Party, Barrack Obama as the President of the United States. Change we can believe in.” The words are written in white, red and blue colors.

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A picture of President-elect Barrack Obama is at the center of the banner, surrounded by stars. Below it are writte the words: "“United States of America”.

A picture of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is on Obama's right. Below it are written the words: “Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Indonesia.”

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A picture of Lukas Enembe is on Obama's left. Lukas is Head of the Democratic Party Regional House of Representatives, as well as the Regent of Puncak Jaya. Below his picture are written the words:“Lukan Enembe, Papua.”

Mahfud Siddiq from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), deems the move as a sign of lack of confidence. "If we use another figure it's like a lack of confidence," he said when contacted by VIVAnews, Thursday, 20 Nov.

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The banners is also causing a bit of a stir in the General Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu). A member of the supervisory body, Wirdyaningsih said that this is the first time such method of campaigning was ever done in Indonesia. “The General Elections Law does not allow a campaign to use symbols outside of the party's own, let's say a hammer and sickle,” she said to VIVAnews. “But can the picture of Obama be categorized as a symbol? Up until now, our understanding for symbols or signs are the party's symbol, logo or a flag. So this is interesting.”

Wirdyaningsih also asked whether or not the Rules of Association of the Democratic Party of Indonesia is similar to the one in the U.S. “If there is no connection between the two, then it's public manipulation,” Wirdyaningsih added.

That is why the General elections supervisory body will scrutinize the Democratic Party campaign strategy. They will compare it to the rules dictated by the General Elections Law no. 10/2008.

Meanwhile, a similar banner can also be seen near the Sentani lake. The difference is, instead of Lukas Enembe, the third picture in the banner is Henok Ibo, the Branch Commissioner Head of the Puncak Jaya Democratic Party and Vice Regent of Puncak Jaya.


As covered by VIVAnews: Nurlis E. Meuko, Suwarjono, Siswanto, Ismoko Widjaya

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