PAN Asks For Bawaslu Explanation Concerning Prohibited Early Campaigns During The 2024 General Election Political Participation On Socialization Of Vision And Missions

Deputy Chairman of Commission VII DPR and PAN politician, Eddy Soeparno. (doc. dpr.go.id)

JAKARTA - PAN questioned the purpose of the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) which prohibits political parties (political parties) who are determined to qualify as participants in the 2024 Election, not an early campaign. PAN assessed that Bawaslu must explain the purpose of early campaigns, because political parties are conducting socialization to the public. "What is meant by early campaigns is like? Even now, we are conducting socialization, conveying to the public about vision and mission to our community," said PAN Secretary General Eddy Soeparno in his statement, Monday, December 19. According to him, the appeal for early campaigns must be explained in detail so that there is no misunderstanding when the party is carrying out socialization. What, he said, the early campaign referred to by Bawaslu was in the form of direct invitations or other forms.

"Maybe what is meant is 'let's choose us', 'choose me', 'choose the party', maybe 'choose the number' maybe it's not allowed. But if we talk today, the socialization has been running, and it's running quite massively," explained Eddy. Eddy also questioned when the party provided assistance to people who needed to enter the campaign category early or not. According to him, this is still normal as long as people don't invite people to vote.

"For example, at the time of the earthquake in Cianjur, many political parties came down to provide assistance and support to the community. Is that a form of campaign too? But in my opinion, as long as there has been no invitation to vote, I think it is still justified," said Eddy.

Previously, Bawaslu appealed to 17 political parties participating in the election not to carry out early campaigns. Bawaslu chairman Rahmat Bagja said that if political parties had carried out early campaigns, his party would have entered the category of conducting campaigns beyond schedule.

"Technically, campaign laws can only be carried out at the campaign stage. Even if there are election participants but they cannot automatically campaign. If political parties carry out campaigns, not during the campaign period, the political parties' actions are categorized as having campaigned outside the schedule," said Bagja in Jakarta, Thursday, December 15.

Bagja explained that the campaign period has been determined in Article 276 of Perppu 1/2022. In this article, it is determined that the Election Campaign as referred to in Article 267 and Article 275 paragraph (1) letter a, letter b, letter c, letter d, letter e, letter h, and letter i, will be carried out since 25 days after the permanent list of candidates for members of the DPR, members of the DPD, members of the provincial DPRD, and members of the district/city DPRD for the DPR member elections, members of the DPD, and members of the DPRD.

As well as being carried out 15 days after the stipulated Candidate Pair for the Presidential and Vice President Elections until the start of the Tenth Period. Furthermore, in paragraph (2), the Election Campaign as referred to in Article 275 paragraph (1) letter f and letter g is carried out for 21 (twenty-one) days and ends until the start of the Tenth Period.

"So the law has determined the campaign period for political parties participating in the election, legislative candidates and presidential candidates, outside of that period it is categorized as a campaign beyond the schedule and activities is prohibited by law and can be convicted," he said. As for the campaign category itself has been regulated in Article 275 of the Election Law in conjunction with Article 276 of Perppu 1/2022 and the prohibition is regulated in Article 280 of the Election Law.