REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Indonesian General Election Commission (KPU) responded to a protest filed by Democratic Party (PD) leader Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who left a peaceful election campaign declaration event here on Sunday. The PD has lodged a strong protest to the KPU over breaches of agreement committed during the peaceful general election campaign in Jakarta on Sunday.

"Actually, we have regulated all (things) within the carnival path. We cannot prevent things taking place outside the carnival lane," said the head of the Indonesian KPU, Arief Budiman, in Jakarta on Sunday.

The PD protested the presence of certain political party attributes during the peaceful general election campaign declaration event.

"Yudhoyono came to the event but after he joined the convoy for five minutes he left the carnival and walked out because many violations are committed," PD Secretary General Hinca Pandjaitan said in the area of the National Monument (Monas) Square, here on Sunday.

He said it was agreed previously that during the peaceful campaign declaration event, participants can only use traditional attires and there should be no political party attributes being used to avoid the impression of conducting campaign activities. But in reality, he said, during the event there were many political party attributes but the KPU did not prohibit them.

Hinca explained that from the beginning it was agreed to only use traditional attires so that his party did not carry the political party's attributes except those provided by the KPU and the party held the commitment. This made Yudhoyono who was already present in the declaration arena decide to leave the arena during the carnival.

Hinca said that he was sent by Yudhoyono to represent him in the location, but when he arrived in the main location, the process of declaration signing had been completed. "So we cannot also sign the declaration document," kata Hinca.

KPU Chairman Arief Budiman said his side could not prevent supporters (from carrying attributes) who were on the roadside or outside the carnival line.

Although there is a protest, Arief stressed that the campaign period had officially begun on Sunday (Sept 23) so that political parties could carry out campaign activities as long as they do it based on regulations.

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