PDIP Plans to Report Maruarar Sirait Regarding Ethnicity, Religion, Race, and Inter-Group Issues in Jakarta Regional Election

JAKARTA - The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) plans to report the Minister of Housing and Residential Areas (PKP) Maruarar Sirait. He is suspected of making a statement containing issues of ethnicity, religion, race, and inter-group (SARA) while campaigning for candidate pair number 1 in the Jakarta gubernatorial election, Ridwan Kamil-Suswono.

The Head of the PDIP DPP for National Legal System Reform, Ronny Talapessy, said that the report was made after a study was conducted.

They will see whether Maruarar's statement falls under general criminal offenses like Basuki Tjahja Purnama alias Ahok who was reported for something similar in the 2017 Pilkada.

"We are conducting a study and of course we will also report to the police regarding Mr. Ara's statement which we see is more or less like the statement that existed (in, ed.) 2017, when Mr. Ahok was campaigning," said Ronny in his statement quoted on Monday, December 2.

In addition, PDIP will also report the statement of its former cadre to the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu). Because, Maruarar conveyed it during the election moment or during the campaign.

"Because this is in the election atmosphere, we respect it. So we report it first to Bawaslu," he said firmly.

"But it is possible that we could also report it to the police. Immediately," continued the lawyer.

Meanwhile, Maruarar, when campaigning for the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair, said that the votes for the gubernatorial and vice gubernatorial candidate number 3, Pramono Anung-Rano Karno from non-Muslims would be eroded. "Because they are supported by Anies Baswedan," Maruarar emphasized in his statement some time ago.

This politician believes that non-Muslims who are reluctant to vote for Pramono-Rano Karno will switch their votes to the Ridwan Kamil-Suswono pair. This belief arose because of the effect of support from President Prabowo Subianto and the 7th President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi).

"That's my prediction, because consolidation is happening. That's why Pram's votes are decreasing because Prabowo's supporters and Jokowi's supporters are consolidating," he said at the Parley Cafe, Senayan, Central Jakarta, Friday, November 22.