Regarding Mahfud's Report To Bawaslu, Ganjar: No Need To Panic, We Argue

Three candidate pairs of presidential and vice-presidential candidates after taking serial numbers for the 2024 presidential election at the KPU building, Jakarta. (Between)

JAKARTA - Candidate for vice president number 3, Ganjar Pranowo admitted that he did not panic about the vice presidential candidate Mahfud MD who was reported to the Indonesian Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) on suspicion of insulting the vice presidential candidate number 2 Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

"For me, there is no need to panic, we are arguing," said Ganjar at the Golo Dukal Stadium, Langke Rembong, Manggarai Regency, NTT, Friday, January 26, which was confiscated by Antara.

He suggested that the KPU open the debate with a longer duration of question and answer. Ganjar emphasized that he would give full support to Mahfud.

"So I advise the KPU not to debate, don't ask questions and answer so that each of them can do it," he said.

"For me, I give full moral support to a Mahfud Md. You are already on the right track," he continued.

In addition, the white-haired presidential candidate had no problem with the report. However, Ganjar questioned the reason for making the report.

"It's okay (to make a report), now anyone reports anything, but if it's an insult I don't know which insult," said Ganjar.

Ganjar then joked that he would also get a lot of reports. However, he did not question this.

"If later today the reporting model reports it happened, maybe I will also get a lot of reports soon," he said.

Previously, Thursday, January 25, Mahfud Md was reported to the Indonesian Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) on suspicion of insulting the vice presidential candidate number 2 Gibran Rakabuming Raka. Mahfud's report relates to his statement in the fourth debate of the 2024 presidential election.

The report was carried out by the Chairman of the Election Supervisory Advocate (Awaslu) Muhammad Mua'limin by visiting the Bawaslu office on Jalan MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, Thursday, January 25. The report was registered No. 039/LP/PP/RI/00.00/I/2024.

"We from the election supervisory advocate, in this case, reported the vice presidential candidate 03 Mahfud Md, who in his debate on January 21 yesterday he took action in the form of words that basically tended to insult his debate opponent, at which time was vice presidential candidate 2 Gibran Rakabuming Raka," said Mua'limin in Jakarta, Thursday.

Mua'limin explained that the basis for Mahfud Md's reporting is Article 72 paragraph 1 letter c of KPU Regulation (PKPU) Number 20 of 2023 in conjunction with Article 280 paragraph 1 letter c and Article 521 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections. Where, he said, the provisions in the article explain that candidate pairs and campaign participants are prohibited from insulting someone or other participants.

Mua'limin considers Mahfud's statement that Gibran asked a question of change in the debate as a form of insult. In this report, he included two witnesses along with evidence of Mahfud Md's video recording in the debate.

"There is a penalty of 2 years and a fine of Rp. 24 million. From some of the videos and news that we read, what Mahfud said included crazy, inconsequential, small words, questions that were useless led to other candidate pairs of insults. That's why we reported it to Bawaslu so that Bawaslu took action against Mahfud Md," he concluded.