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The Elections Supervisory Board is investigating a television station, partly owned by a key supporter of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, for allegedly violating election laws when it aired speeches made by the presidential and vice presidential candidates over the weekend.

“We’re still collecting evidence by monitoring all the tapes to check whether there was a violation and are seeking clarification from the TV station,” Wirdianingsih, a member of the board (Bawaslu), said on Sunday.

Yuddy Chrisnandi, a member of Vice President Jusuf Kalla’s and Wiranto’s campaign team, demanded the General Elections Commission (KPU) take action against Trans7 for covering a national meeting held by Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party at a hall in the Pekan Raya Jakarta complex in North Jakarta.

He said the station’s 15-minute footage of Yudhoyono’s speech at the meeting, in which the president outlined his vision and mission for the nation, was against campaign laws.

“The campaign period has not yet started,” said Yuddy, a lawmaker with the Golkar Party. “This can be categorized as a violation.

The KPU has prohibited all candidates from conducting any form of campaigning until Tuesday, when the official campaign period kicks off.

Candidates would be allowed to campaign until July 4, a few days ahead of the July 8 presidential poll.

The KPU can slap sanctions on candidates who violate campaign laws, after recommendations are first received from Bawaslu .

Wirdianingsih said that persuasion to choose certain presidential and vice presidential candidates constituted campaigning, as well as announcements of the candidates’ vision and mission or the programs they would pursue if elected.

The Democratic Party event was held hours after the KPU formally announced the presidential and vice presidential candidates on Saturday morning.

KPU Chief Abdul Hafiz Anshary said that while members of the media were prohibited from covering such events, his office had no authority to impose sanctions without first getting a recommendation from Bawaslu.

Hafiz also said that if the evidence proved that only the TV station had violated the campaign regulation, it would be up to the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) to impose a sanction .

Trans7 is partly owned by Chairul Tanjung, who was said to be among those considered by Yudhoyono as his running mate.