JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Presidential candidate Jusuf Kalla said he fully supported press freedom and had never tried to dictate the media what they should or should not publish. "I never break my commitment to press freedom. I never phoned the media, asking that a certain news should be released or not," Kalla said here when attending a dialog themed "The Presidential Candidates’ Commitment to Press Freedom" here on Monday.
The dialog, organized by the Indonesian Television Journalists Association (IJTI), was also to be attended by the two other presidential aspirants but Jusuf Kalla was the first to speak at the event. Kalla said further that press freedom should be respected. However, Kalla added the press should also remain accountable.
Kalla said press freedom could not be exercised without limits, adding that all people had the same rights. "Journalists were in a position to criticize but other people also had the right to raise objections and so forth," he said.
"I just call on the media or editors in chief not to release reports that could have a bad impact. Such reports could become a virus to others," Kalla said, citing as an example news about violence or clashes.
According to Kalla, the media should also be responsible and think about the impact of the news they release. It is better to consider whether a report can have a bad impact.
Asked why he had so far never opposed the media, after being criticized, Kalla said "we should always uphold mutual respect." "We must respect each other. I do not need to be offended," Kalla added.
Kalla who is also the incumbent vice president and chairman of the Golkar Party, is running for president with Wiranto, chairman of the People’s Conscience Party (Hanura) as his vice presidential candidate. Kalla will compete with two other presidential candidates, namely incumbent President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) of the Democratic Party, and former president Megawati Soekarnoputri of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
