37 Candidates For Regional Heads Positive For COVID-19

JAKARTA - The registration period for regional head candidate pairs (bapaslon) in the 2020 Regional Election is officially closed. It is known that there are 37 potential regional head candidates who are positive for COVID-19.

Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU) Arief Budiman said this information was known from the submission of the PCR swab test results of each candidate which became one of the registration requirements.

"There were 37 candidates who tested positive based on the swab test. Not candidate pairs, yes. We collected this data from 21 provinces," said Arief at the KPU RI Office, Central Jakarta, Monday, September 7.

Meanwhile, the number of chameleons that were accepted for registration until Sunday at 24.00 was 687 chaplones.

In detail, there are 22 bapaslon for governors and deputy governors, 570 regents and vice regents, and 95 mayors and deputy mayors. The Bapaslon registered in 270 regions that held the 2020 Pilkada.

Then, the number of candidate pairs proposed by political parties or coalitions of political parties was 626.Meanwhile, the number of candidate pairs of candidates who went through the individual route was 61.

"For prospective pairs of candidates whose registration cannot be accepted, we urge them to maintain the condition of the situation and then follow the provisions of the applicable laws and regulations," said Arief.

Furthermore, Arief said that his party had reopened the 2020 Pilkada registration period for 3 days in 28 regions. This is because the 28 regions only have one candidate pair.

"For areas where there is 1 bapaslon, the KPU will re-register or re-register. So, no one may re-register, it can also change. Finally, we will wait until the candidate pairs are determined," he said.

For information, the KPU requires regional head candidate pairs (cakada) in the 2020 Pilkada to carry out a COVID-19 swab test and show a negative result before undergoing a medical test as a regional election candidate.

If the cakada has been declared free of COVID-19 then they can undergo a health check. Meanwhile, if the cakada is tested positive for COVID-19, the health examination will be postponed.

"If the candidate is indicated as positive, then the medical examination will be postponed until the person concerned has finished undergoing treatment or self-quarantine," said KPU Commissioner Hasyim Asyari.

As a consequence, if the process of postponing the health examination for the head of district head (cakada), then there is a potential for the appointment schedule as a candidate and the serial number drawing will also be postponed. That way, the opportunity to campaign is also reduced.

"For example, a candidate pair has been scheduled for September 23, for a candidate who is positive for COVID, then if the medical examination is postponed, there is a potential consequence for the appointment of the candidate to be postponed. Likewise, the drawing of the serial number will also be postponed," said Hasyim.