Bawaslu Asked To Investigate Allegations Of Violations Of Deployment Of Village Apparatus To Support Gibran

Candidate for vice president of the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) Gibran Rakabuming Raka attended the gathering of the United Village at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK), Central Jakarta, Sunday (19/11/2023). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) was asked to investigate allegations of the mobilization of support from the All-Indonesian Village Government Association (APDESI) against candidate pair number two, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming. The reason is that in the event, Gibran was also present accompanied by a number of party officials supporting the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM).

The Coordinator of the Indonesian Voters Committee (TePI Indonesia) Jeiry Sumampow, assessed that if Bawaslu does not act, then this election will be the election with the most worrying law enforcement.

"Our election this time is indeed in the weakest law enforcement, from Bawaslu. Bawaslu has almost done nothing other than roadshows everywhere," said Jeiry in Jakarta, Tuesday, November 21, evening.

Jeiry said that election violations were getting clearer. In fact, he said, it was seen in plain view by public officials and even their own participants.

"I think officials, election participants, and other groups are getting more and more open or reckless in committing violations. I think in certain cases the violation was intentional," he said.

According to Jeiry, election violations such as declarations or mobilization of support involving state officials will continue to repeat themselves if Bawaslu only monitors without taking action.

"The activities were carried out, they knew it was a violation, but they also knew Bawaslu could not or did not want to do anything about the violation. Therefore, the violations committed will be even more massive now. We will experience it, we just have to move," said Jeiry.

Jeiry also highlighted the low compliance of election participants with the rules because they knew Bawaslu was not carrying out their proper duties.

"So, there is almost no solution. We have lost hope with election law enforcement devices, such as Bawaslu, if we look at this year," he said.

Jeiry also regretted that election law enforcers did not carry out surveillance and actions against violators.

"It seems that if this is the case, we don't need an election supervisory agency. Because he doesn't carry out surveillance," he concluded.

Previously, the Chairman of the Indonesian Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja said that the support from village officials under the All-Indonesian Village Government Association (APDESI) to Prabowo-Gibran contained potential violations.

However, said Bagja, the village apparatus event attended by Gibran at the Indonesia Arena Stadium, GBK on Sunday, November 19, must be studied first.

Because, although the village apparatus did not declare support for candidate pair number two directly, Rahmat assessed that there should be no effort to move them in the 2024 General Election.

"There is potential (violence), first, you cannot use village officials and village heads as a campaign team. You cannot involve a campaign team for village officials and village heads," said Rahmat in response to reporters' questions at the DPR Building, Senayan, Monday, November 20.

Rahmat reminded that the Election Law clearly regulates that it is prohibited to use village officials in the 2024 General Election. Moreover, during the 2024 campaign.

"It's clear in the law. Remember, the ban on campaigns is Article 280. Campaign, yes. Now is it a campaign or not? Not yet, right. So you have to be careful," he said.