TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that negative campaigns are not something unusual nor does it violate campaign regulations.
According to Kalla, a candidate commonly launches attacks at their opponent by looking for mistakes, which is difficult to avoid as it reveals facts.
"Politics is like playing badminton. You get a point when your smash is in. But your opponent steals that point when it is out," he said at his office on Tuesday, Oct. 16.
Kalla said as long as the attacks are based on facts, no rules are broken. This, he remarked, is different from black campaigns; where it is usually done by making false claims and accusations.
The vice president reminded both camps to watch their campaign behaviors, and not to make mistakes.
Jusuf Kalla made the statement after PKS president Sohibul Iman said that negative campaigns among legislator candidates are allowed, and what's forbidden is the black campaign.
Sohibul, however, said that the intensity of negative campaigns should be limited to just 20 percent.
Vindry Florentin
