TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Press Council Chairman Yosep Stanley Adi Prasetyo stated the institution could not take action against the media that placed campaign advertisement.

“Based on the law on the press, only smoking ad displaying a smoking man or alcoholic drinks ad that is prohibited,” said Stanley to Tempo today, May 18.

The statement is a response to the advertisement of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) in printed media Jawa Pos on April 23. Stanley said campaign advertisement is regulated on Law No. 7/2017 on General Election. Press Council, he underlined, monitors journalistic products related to the code violation.

“For example, the campaign ad that is written or hidden in the news,” he said.

Stanley further explained that advertisement could be a problem if which containing the issue of SARA (ethnicity, religion, and race) and pornography.

Previously, the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) sued PSI Sec-Gen Raja Juli Antoni and his deputy Chandra Wiguna for violating the election rules following its off-campaign schedule advertisement in mass media.

Stanley stated based on the agreement with the General Election Commission, the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission, and Press Council, all mass media were appealed not to presenting an advertisement on the journalistic product. The mass media will be held accountable by Press Council should it displays an advertisement covered in journalistic product.

Thus far, Press Council did not see any violation conducted by Jawa Pos related to PSI advertisement. “Because it is a pure ad. A violation could be seen from Election rules. However, we will remind the media not to receive any advertisement before the campaign period.”

CAESAR AKBAR