Prohibition Of Child Involvement During Campaign Period, Sanski Hard For Those Who Violate

YOGYAKARTA - Bawaslu together with the Indonesian Child Protection Commission (KPI) carry out strict supervision to prevent children's involvement in election activities. The prohibition of child involvement during the campaign period has been regulated in the law.

Although the election is a democratic process in a country, there are vulnerable groups such as children who should not be involved. Parties such as presidential and vice-presidential candidates, political parties, such as the success team caught involving children during the campaign period will be punished criminally.

In addition, the involvement of children during the campaign period will also be subject to sanctions from the Child Protection Act. So what are the rules for prohibiting children from involving children in election campaign activities that need to be understood by the public?

Ahead of the 2024 General Election, KPAI is concerned about the exploitation of children during the campaign period starting on November 28, 2023 and ending on February 10, 2024. Each party involved in the interests of the General Election is asked not to take advantage of children in political activities.

The Child Protection Law has regulated children's rights to get protection from abuse in political activities. However, in the field, sometimes there are still parties who ignore these rules and use children during campaigns.

Law No. 7 of 2017 concerning Elections regulates the prohibition for campaign teams to include Indonesian citizens who do not have the right to vote in campaign activities. The criteria for Indonesian citizens who have the right to vote have been stipulated in Article 1 number 34 of the Election Law, namely the age of at least 17 years, having married, or having married.

Based on these qualifications, 17-year-old individuals such as teenagers and children should not be involved in political activities because they have not met the provisions. Article 280 paragraph 2 letter K states that children aged 17 years and under are not allowed to participate in campaigns, the following reads:

"Executors and/or campaign teams in Election Campaign activities are prohibited from including: Indonesian citizens who do not have the right to vote."

In addition to the Election Law, the prohibition on the involvement of children in campaign activities is also regulated in the Child Protection Law. Article 15 letter A of the law stipulates that children should not be misused in political activities, the following reads:

"Every child has the right to protection from: a. abuse in political activities."

The rules for child protection in this article include activities that are direct and indirect, from actions that endanger children physically and psychologically. Children who participate in campaign activities will be vulnerable to developing and developing disorders, for example due to threats and intimidation that can affect children's psychology.

Implementing and/or an election campaign team known to use children in political activities will be subject to criminal sanctions in the form of fines and imprisonment. These provisions have been regulated in Article 493 of the Election Law, as follows:

"Every election campaigner and / or team who violates the prohibition as referred to in Article 280 paragraph (2) shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 1 (one) year and a maximum fine of IDR 12,000,000.00 (twelve million rupiah)."

Strict sanctions for parties involving children in campaign actions are also regulated in Article 87 of Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection. For those who violate these rules, a maximum penalty of five years and/or a maximum fine of Rp. 100 million will be threatened.

"Every person who unlawfully recruits or orders children for military interests as referred to in Article 63 or abuse in political activities or involvement in armed disputes or involvement in social unrest or involvement in events containing elements of violence or involvement in warfare as referred to in Article 15 shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of 5 (five) years and/or a maximum fine of Rp. 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah)."

Such is the review of the prohibition of child involvement during the campaign period based on the Election Law and the Child Protection Law. In addition to firm and serious steps from Bawaslu and KPAI, the public must also participate to prevent campaign activities that take advantage of children.

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