Bawaslu Supervises Social Media To Anticipate Provocations On Calm Days

Illustration of Social Media (ANTARA)

BLITAR - The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) of Blitar Regency, East Java, oversees social media as an effort to anticipate provocation practices, especially on calm days before the granting of election voting rights, February 14, 2024.

"We have a cyber team. They will monitor all social media so that on this quiet day no one will provoke or campaign. If there are campaign findings, for example, there are sanctions due to campaigns beyond schedule," said Blitar Regency Bawaslu member Masrukin, quoted by ANTARA, Sunday 11 February.

His party admits that until now there have been no findings of provocation practices or campaigns on social media. However, the team remained not careless in carrying out surveillance until the 2024 General Election was carried out in an orderly manner.

In addition, in this quiet period, Blitar Regency Bawaslu is also still continuing to clean up campaign props throughout Blitar Regency.

The 2024 election campaign period has ended Saturday (10/2), so that at 00.00 WIB, Blitar Regency Bawaslu officers began cleaning campaign props.

Controlling the APK is carried out simultaneously. This activity also involves the KPU, Satpol PP, Dishub, police, TNI, and related agencies in Blitar Regency.

Masrukin added, for everyone who carries out campaigns or provocations in a quiet period, the sanction is as stated in Article 492 of the Election Law.

Article 492 of the Election Law explains that every person who deliberately carries out an election campaign outside the schedule set by the KPU, Provincial KPU, and Regency/City KPU for each election participant as referred to in Article 276 paragraph (2), shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of one year and a maximum fine of IDR 12 million.

In addition, there is a threat to every executor, participant, and/or election campaign team who deliberately during a calm period promises or provides cash or other material rewards to voters directly or indirectly as referred to in article 278 paragraph (2) shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of four years and a maximum fine of IDR 48 million.

Another rule in Article 509 is that anyone who announces the results of a survey or poll on elections in a quiet period as referred to in Article 449 paragraph (2), shall be punished with a maximum imprisonment of one year and a maximum fine of IDR 12 million.

"For this reason, the campaign props for the president and vice president as well as legislative candidates and installed DPD candidates are only allowed until February 10, 2024 at 24.00 WIB," said Masrukin.

Meanwhile, until now, a total of 23,292 campaign props have been brought under control. The APK with various large good sizes with various models. All of them are stored in each sub-district panwas warehouse and will then be destroyed.