"The President has urged the press to steer clear of black campaigning ahead of the elections," General Chairman of the Indonesian Journalist Association (PWI) Margiono said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on the press to boost the democratic process by assuring that no parties should partake in black campaigning and also by avoiding its occurrence.

"The President has urged the press to steer clear of black campaigning ahead of the elections," General Chairman of the Indonesian Journalist Association (PWI) Margiono remarked in a press statement issued at the presidential office here on Monday, after meeting with the President to report the preparations for the 2014 National Press Day.

He stated that one of the black campaigns entails notifying or reporting something, which does not actually occur or which the press has fabricated as headlines for weeks.

To boost the process of democracy, he emphasized that the press should report facts pertaining to legislative or presidential candidates, irrespective of them being good or bad.

"Indeed, the press has an obligation to unveil the truth and tell what is good or bad," he remarked.

The President believes that although most mass media in the country have already begun implementing the balanced principles of reporting, which are against black campaigning, yet there are a few who fail to follow suit, Margiono explained.

"So, they are not many in numbers, yet their presence is disturbing. The press must eradicate such form of reporting," he insisted.

LKBN Antaras News Director Akhmad Kusaeni, who also attended the meeting, noted that the President also cited several examples of stories, which have not been presented correctly.

President Yudhoyono referred to the report of the presidential aid packets for the Mount Sinabung eruptions evacuees, which were actually bearing the picture of the presidential emblem on them, but on the contrary, were shown carrying the picture of a political party symbol, he added.

President Yudhoyono is also the current chief of the Democratic Party.

The president also criticized reports stating that the tent he used to spend a night while recently visiting the Mount Sinabung evacuees in North Sumatra, costed Rp15 billion, while, in fact, it belonged to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) and was worth only Rp60 million.

The president has pledged to attend the National Press Day, which is scheduled to be held in Bengkulu, Sumatra.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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