KPU Removes Sanctions For Disqualification Of Incumbents Who Do Not Permit Pilkada Campaign Leave

Illustrations (Photo: Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The General Election Commission (KPU) conducts a public test on the revision of KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 4 of 2017 concerning the Election Campaign for Governors, Deputy Governors, Regents, Deputy Regents and / or Mayors, and Deputy Mayors.

One of the amended regulations was the removal of candidate disqualification witnesses who were still serving as regional heads (incumbents) because they did not submit a campaign leave permit to the KPU.

In Article 72 PKPU 4/2017, regional heads who become pairs of candidates but do not submit a campaign leave permit to the KPU are subject to sanctions by the KPU to cancel the candidates. However, in PKPU, which will be revised later, the sanctions are removed.

"The KPU's sanction for cancellation as a candidate from the incumbent candidate is planned to be removed because it adjusts the provisions of the Election Law," Dewa said in a webinar public test, Friday, September 11.

However, the revision of PKPU 4/2017 still regulates the obligation for incumbents to apply for campaign permits outside of state responsibility.

Article 63 in the revision states that the governor, deputy governor, regent, deputy regent, mayor, deputy mayor, members of the DPR, DPD, DPRD, or state or regional officials must apply for a campaign permit outside the state's responsibility.

"This campaign permit letter is submitted to the local KPU at the latest 3 days prior to the implementation of campaign activities," he said.

However, the sanctions for incumbents who violate this obligation or do not validate campaign licenses are no longer valid.

Dewa said that the disqualification or cancellation of the incumbent candidate was removed because Law Number 10 of 2020 concerning regional elections did not regulate these sanctions. "These sanctions are not regulated in law," he said.