Aceh Bawaslu Calls Party Billboards Ramadan And Eid Not Campaign Violations

MEULABOH - The General Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of West Aceh Regency emphasized that so far it has not found any alleged violations of the 2024 General Election, related to the rampant installation of billboards, banners and billboards for Ramadan congratulations by political parties participating in the election.

"So far, congratulations have been conveyed by political parties participating in the election, including the candidate for DPD candidate, the DPR RI, have not violated PKPU rules Number 2 of 2022 concerning the Stages and Schedule of the 2024 General Election Organizers," said West Aceh Regency Bawaslu Commissioner Romi Juliansyah to ANTARA, Sunday 2 April.

Previously, M Yunus Bidin as an academic and political observer at Teuku Umar University, Meulaboh, West Aceh Regency asked the local Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to immediately regulate the widespread use of political party attributes in the holy month of Ramadan 1444 Hijriah in this area.

"The content of the logo and the number of political parties and certain words in billboards or banners that have been displayed in every corner of Meulaboh City, West Aceh, has the potential to violate Law Number 7 concerning General Elections," said M Yunus Bidin.

For this reason, he advised West Aceh Bawaslu to enforce the law, both in a persuasive and preventive context, so that potential election violations can be minimized from an early age.

Responding to this, Romi explained that in the provisions of the General Election Commission (PKPU) Regulation Number 3 2022 concerning the Stages and Schedule of the 2024 General Election Organizers, the stage of the 2024 General Election will only begin in November 2023.

This means, he said, that currently there has not been a campaign period, so that every candidate for DPD members, DPR-RI as well as presidential and vice presidential candidates has not yet been determined to participate in the 2024 General Election.

So that the form of congratulations conveyed by prospective candidates through banner media, billboards and billboards cannot be categorized as a campaign violation in the 2024 General Election.

"Currently, those who have applied as candidates have not been appointed as candidates for the election, so they have not been included in the element of the violation," Romi Juliansyah added.

He said that currently it is permissible to conduct socialization, only to political parties that have been designated as participants in the 2024 General Election, and the socialization can only be carried out internally by political parties.

West Aceh Bawaslu also appealed to political parties participating in the election not to campaign ahead of time.

"If you want to socialize internally, political parties, please, usually this socialization is carried out for party cadres and party offices," said Romi Juliansyah.