Press is Guardian of the Democratic Process: Academician

Jakarta (Antara) - The press is the guardian of the democratic process, stated President Director of the Center for Election and Political Party (CEPP) of the University of Indonesia (UI) Chusnul Mar'iyah. "As a fourth pillar that has the function to control, the media has an important role of directing the development of democracy in Indonesia," she noted here on Thursday. The CEPP UI organized a dialog themed "Call for Peaceful, Honest and Fair Presidential Elections with Press People" on Wednesday for the House of Representatives' (DPR's) leaders, media editors, and UI academicians. "One of the things achieved in Wednesday's dialogue was to highlight the media's high responsibility to build state institutions such as the DPR, but at the same time, in the context of the general elections, they are responsible for the process of building democracy," Chusnul reiterated. Earlier, the General Election Commission (KPU) had called on the media to be independent and neutral in reporting presidential election campaigns. The electronic media in particular should promote political education for the public, KPU Chairman Husni Kamil Manik remarked in a statement. The Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) has also earlier emphasized that the commission was still evaluating the content of television programs and news reporting concerning campaign activities ahead of the presidential election. KPU Commissioner Fajar Arifianto Isnugroho stated that the KPI had reprimanded the managers of TV One and Metro TV on June 9. The KPI was currently evaluating the programs of the two television stations, he added. (*)