Not Participants, Many Election Violations In Bengkulu Are Carried Out By ASN And Organizers

Press Council Activities entitled Workshop Covering 2024 Elections in Bengkulu Province, Wednesday (27/9/2023). ANTARA/Boyke Ledy Watra

BENGKULU - The Bengkulu Province General Election Supervisory Agency said the majority of election violations reported to Bawaslu ahead of the campaign stages were carried out by the state civil apparatus. "So far, we have handled violations (although they have not entered the campaign stage), it turns out that what many have done is not by election participants, but is mostly carried out by the state civil apparatus, then also the organizers," said Bengkulu Province Bawaslu member Eko Sugianto in Bengkulu, quoted from Antara, Wednesday, September 27. Until now, Bawaslu Bengkulu has received 14 reports and two findings indicating election violations. The majority of reports related to alleged violations committed by ASN, village officials or election organizers. "Violations committed by ASN are related to virtue, neutrality. So, they behave, capture, there is a tendency to give likes or comments, support one of the legislative candidates or political parties, on average," he said. Then, continued Eko, there were also violations committed in the form of attitudes and policies taken by ASN not based on neutrality, there was a tendency to support one of the election participants. "There are also violations that have been committed regarding their attitudes and policies. Some of the time we have handled from unscrupulous persons, his policy is to write to support one of the political parties. That's roughly the case," he added. Several cases that meet the requirements to be followed up have been processed by Bawaslu, while the matter of violations committed by ASN is forwarded to the ASN Commission. Eko invites all parties to maintain election neutrality, as well as for ASN to ensure that they remain neutral and maintain integrity as state servants. Bawaslu Bengkulu reminded ASN to be more careful in using social media so as not to provide support to one of the legislative candidates, political parties or presidential candidates, either consciously or not.

"ASNs must be careful in responding to uploads or status of prospective election participants and sympathizers. ASNs are careful in commenting, not giving likes or sharing posts from election participants, political parties or sympathizers or leading to election contestation," Eko explained.