KPU And Bawaslu Are Asked To Be More Firm In Implementing The Pilkada Health Protocol

KPU Building (Irfan Meidianto)

JAKARTA - Chairman of Commission II of the DPR, Ahmad Doli Kurnia, asked the organizers of the Regional Head Election (Pilkada), namely the KPU and Bawaslu to be more active and more firm in enforcing the implementation of the COVID-19 protocol. Doli assessed that the KPU and Bawaslu were weak in implementing health protocols related to crowds who did not use masks when registering prospective candidates.

He conveyed this after observing the first day of opening the registration of candidates for regional head on Friday, September 4 yesterday.

"So I ask the administering apparatus, the KPU and Bawaslu to be more active in providing information and to be more assertive in enforcing the implementation of the COVID-19 health protocol," said Doli in a written statement, Saturday, September 5.

In addition to election organizers, he also asked regional head candidates, especially incumbent candidates, to discipline their groups of supporters. The candidate pair and their entourage, said Doli, must follow the established rules for implementing health protocols when registering.

He also appealed to the public not to flock to participate in the registration of regional head candidates. "Even if you want to attend, please still wear a mask and keep your distance," he said.

Previously, a number of parties were concerned about the emergence of a new COVID-19 cluster after seeing the many supporters of regional head candidates who participated in accompanying their champion when registering with the Regional General Election Commission (KPUD).

Executive Director of the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) Djayadi Hanan assessed that the first day of registration yesterday, with a large crowd, is very likely to create new clusters.

"When I saw the registration on the first day, my concern grew that the 2020 Pilkada could become a COVID-19 super spreader, so the new cluster of COVID-19," said Djayadi in a webinar.

Formappi researcher Lucius Karus also has the same concerns as Djayadi after seeing the many candidates for regional head convoy with their supporters. "The pilkada convoy hardly cares about the COVID-19 protocol anymore. Get ready to become a new cluster, a candidate registration cluster," he said.