Demand Grows for Indonesian Polling Controls

A member of the newly formed ethics council of the Indonesian Public Opinion Survey Association (Persepi), has called for a block on the results of opinion polls funded by political parties being released to the public.

Dedy Nur Hidayat, who heads the University of Indonesia's postgraduate communications department, told The Jakarta Globe that results should only be seen by those who have commissioned the survey.

The new ethics council has been formed in response to growing doubts about the accuracy of the results of surveys run by pollsters who are known to have close relationships with political parties in the country.

Rocky Gerung, a Political Analyst in the University of Indonesia's philosophy department, said that pollsters were selective about which results they released. 'Most of the surveys released have been in favour of the political institutions that paid for the surveys,' he stated. 'When a result is not favourable, it isn't announced.'

Currently there are no rules in the country relating to publicising survey results conducted on behalf of political parties. Amidst claims of inaccurate and biased polls, Persepi plans to examine the methodologies used by its members prior to the country's election on 8 July.

The association - which comprises 22 public opinion polling firms - has also introduced a code of conduct which will ensure its members follow standard methodologies in carrying out their work, regardless of the source of funding.

A second industry body, the Indonesian Public Opinion Research Association (Aropi), has already sanctioned members for violating an existing code of conduct.

'Ethics are agreed upon by pollsters,' stated Nur Hidayat. 'What we can do now is better control the survey methodology. In the ethics council our concern is whether there is politically or economically motivated methodology manipulation. In such cases, the pollster should be warned and sanctioned. Pollsters should reveal their methodology to the public.'

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.