NasDem: Announcement Of The 2020 Pilkada Candidates Is Done Online Through The KPU Website

Menkominfo Johnny G Plate (doc. Kominfo)

JAKARTA - Secretary General of the NasDem Party Johnny G Plate said that the announcement of the 2020 Pilkada candidate pairs will be carried out online. There should be no mobilization of supporters.

This was said by Johnny after attending a meeting with the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs (Menko Polhukam) Mahfud MD.

"The announcement of tomorrow's election candidate pairs will be made through the KPU website and made through the KPU website and announced at the respective KPUD offices," Johnny said when confirmed by reporters after attending a meeting related to the elections, Tuesday, September 22.

In the meeting, Johnny continued, Mahfud MD also reminded the party secretary general to urge the candidates he carried out not to mobilize the masses when determining the candidates which will be held on September 23-24.

"The candidate number only followed by one candidate pair and a team. The Secretary General is expected to urge the candidate pair not to mobilize the crowd," he said.

In addition, the party secretary general who was present had to follow the tightening of health protocols regulated by the government. This is intended so that there are no new clusters of COVID-19 transmission.

"We will try to make more campaigns online," he said.

It is known that the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD held a meeting by inviting the secretary general of the party who supported the regional head candidate. Those invited were Secretary General of the Crescent Star Party (PBB) Afriansyah Nur, Secretary General of the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI) Raja Juli Antoni, Secretary General of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Mustafa Kamal, Secretary General of Perindo Ahmad Rofiq, Secretary General of Democrats Teuku Riefky Harsya, Secretary General of the United Development Party (PPP) Arsul Sani, Secretary General of the Gerindra Party, Ahmad Muzani.

Then Golkar Party Secretary General Lodewijk F Paulus, PDI Perjuangan Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, Secretary General of the NasDem Party Johnny G Plate, Secretary General of PAN Eddy Soeparno, and Wasekjen Hanura Party Tari Siwi Utami.

During the meeting, Mahfud mentioned that political parties have a big role so that regional administrators can listen to the direction of the central government regarding the implementation of the 2020 regional elections.

"That is why we are meeting today. Apart from structural state institutions, we go through a more specialized infrastructure, namely the secretary-general or leadership of political parties to take part in controlling or helping to enforce discipline and law enforcement," Mahfud said when opening the meeting.

Previously, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD said that President Joko Widodo had heard input from a number of parties, including from Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah who called for postponing the 2020 Pilkada due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mahfud said Jokowi even held a special meeting to discuss requests from a number of parties regarding the postponement of the regional head election.

"The President has heard and considered opinions and suggestions. All have been heard. Those who want to postpone and those who wish to continue. From organizations such as NU Muhammadiyah, their opinions differ, they are all heard and the President holds a meeting or talks specifically to discuss this matter," Mahfud said when opening the Simultaneous Regional Election Preparation Coordination Meeting 2020 which was broadcast on YouTube, Tuesday, September 22.

In the meeting, he continued, Jokowi had heard a number of considerations from related ministries and agencies regarding the implementation of the 2020 Pilkada before he finally decided that the implementation of the contest should not be postponed.

"The president is of the opinion that the pilkada does not need to be postponed and continues to be implemented. This presidential opinion has been channeled to the Ministry of Home Affairs to be submitted to the DPR to the KPU to Bawaslu, DKPP and so on, which was also held yesterday, September 21," he said.