VIVAnews – The Indonesian Press Council will send a letter to the General Elections Commission (KPU) regarding the three journalists who were locked in at the KPU Media Center. The Press Council asks the Commission to embrace the press as its strategic partner.
“In fact, the media provides a stage whereby KPU’s activities can be spread to the public,” said member of Press Council, Leo Batubara, Jakarta, Monday, Jan. 19.
According to Batubara, the Commission has not been able to apply the Law on Freedom of Public Information. Therefore, when the news is criticizing in nature, it creates discomfort. “It’s different from Ali Sadikin’s position when he was Governor of Special Region of Jakarta. He saw that when the press criticizes, that means that something needs to be fixed,” he said.
Batubara made the statement after several journalists, ‘trapped’ for several hours at the KPU Media Center made a report to the police and then went to the Press Council.
On Monday afternoon, 19 January, at 1.00pm, two reporters filed a complaint against KPU to the Menteng District Police, Central Jakarta. Reporter for Koran Jakarta, Agus Supriatna, and reporter for Koran Sindo, Liberti Mappapa, said that the KPU had mistreated them and prevented them from performing their journalistic duties.
The case stems from an incident that took place on Saturday, 17 January. Around 12.00pm, Supriatna and Mappapa, along with a reporter from Jawa Pos, Tri Mujoko Bayu Aji, were interviewing the Executive Director of Center for Electoral Reform, Hadar Nafis Gumay.
After the interview, Gumay asked to leave first and left the room located at the East Wing of the KPU office. At first Gumay headed to the main door of the Media Center but it was locked. He then headed towards the back, but he then returned again to the reporters who were still busy packing their things. As it turned out the back door was also locked.
That was when they realized that they had been locked in at the Media Center. They waited for someone from the Commission to open the door. Two hours passed and they were still stuck inside.
Fortunately, at about 3.00pm, a reporter from Media Indonesia, Ken Norton Hutasoit, came to the Media Center. Finding the Center locked, he contacted security. As it turned out, the key to the room was with the security. Finally they were able to leave the building.
Regardless, this incident is taken seriously by several journalists who often cover KPU’s activities. Therefore, one Monday, Supriatna and Mappapa asked the police to investigate the matter. “We ask the police to investigate whether this was a technical problem or whether it was done on purpose. The problem is that in the past few months, the Media Center is often locked,” said Supriatna after reporting to the incident to the police, Monday, Jan. 19.
Although recognizing the importance of open information sharing, Batubara, on behalf of the Press Council, asks the journalists to rethink their report to the police because he believes that this is a minor case. “We need to remember that KPU is not an enemy,” said Batubara.
Supriatna said that if the KPU improves its behavior, there is a possibility that they will retract the complaint. He views the case as not only affecting individuals, but having an impact on the relationship between the Commission and reporters.
Meanwhile, member of KPU, I Gustu Putu Artha, denied the fact that the incident happened on purpose. He said that it was a mere technical issue. “This is just miscommunication,” said Putu Artha at his office, Jakarta, Monday, Jan. 19.
“Please don’t think that this was a purposeful systematic act by the commissioner,” he continued. The matter will be brought up in KPU’s next plenary meeting.
Airlangga Dapat Dukungan Satkar Ulama jadi Ketum Golkar Lagi, Didoakan Menang Aklamasi
Dukungan ke Airlangga Hartarto, untuk kembali memimpin Partai Golkar, terus berdatangan. Kali ini, dari organisasi didirikan Golkar, yakni Satuan Karya atau Satkar Ulama.
