Campaign Period For Positive Regional Head Candidates For COVID-19 Potential To Decrease

JAKARTA - Commissioner for General Elections (KPU) I Dewa Kade Wiarsa Raka Sandi said that candidates for regional head (cakada) who are positive for COVID-19 while undergoing the election stages have the potential to reduce their campaign time.

The KPU has data on as many as 34 prospective candidates for the 2020 Regional Head Election that tested positive for COVID-19 when registering their candidacy at the KPU.

As long as they have not recovered, prospective candidates cannot undergo the next stages, namely medical examinations, determination as a candidate pair, until the campaign period.

If the campaign period has started on September 26, but has not undergone a medical examination, the candidate cannot campaign yet.

"If this pair, when the campaign period arrives, has not been able to carry out a medical examination, so that the KPU cannot determine the candidate pair, then their campaign schedule can also be postponed," Dewa said in a webinar discussion, Wednesday, September 9.

Dewa explained that all prospective pairs of candidates ideally could participate in all stages together, so that there were aspects of equality of treatment and justice.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic situation will result in a schedule that the prospective pairs of candidates cannot follow together.

"For example, for a candidate who has a negative swab result during registration, when the requirements of the candidate meet the conditions, a cover letter for medical examination will be given," said Dewa.

"But if there is something positive, of course the results will be conveyed to the KPU, which can be clarified via online media," he added.

After the prospective candidate has carried out independent isolation or is treated and the results are negative, the new nomination stage can be continued to a medical examination.

"That way, this also has an impact on the determination of the candidate pair, has an impact on the drawing of serial numbers. Not because the KPU differentiates its treatment, but because the conditions are like that. It has been regulated," said Dewa.