Bawaslu Investigate The Removal Of Ganjar's Billboards At The TNI Military Command

Chairman of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) Rahmat Bagja (Photo: Antara)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja admitted that his party was investigating the removal of a banner of PDI-P Presidential Candidate Ganjar Pranowo installed at the Headquarters of Kodim 1013/Muara Teweh, North Barito, Central Kalimantan. "Again, we will check with friends in West Kalimantan, if I'm not mistaken, where else do we check, and whether we see the process in Central Kalimantan is now in process," Bagja said after the event "The Damai Election" at the Fairmont Hotel, Jakarta, Tuesday night, quoted by Antara.

He said that Bawaslu would oversee the socialization at every level before the campaign period began on November 28, 2023.

"Socialization is not a campaign. Socialization is not allowed, but if it is internal to the party. Apart from the community, what we limit is not allowed to invite socialization," he said.

Previously, on Monday (17/7), TNI Commander Admiral Yudo Margono confirmed that the billboard with the picture of Ganjar Pranowo's presidential candidate installed on the land of Kodim Headquarters 1013/Muara Teweh, North Barito, Central Kalimantan was not forcibly removed. According to Yudo, Dandim 1013/Muara Teweh Lt. Col. Inf. Edi Purwoko had coordinated with the installer and local government before removing the billboard.

Yudo emphasized the issue of TNI neutrality in the election. He admitted that previously he had issued a number of emphasis on soldiers.

One of them, soldiers were ordered not to provide facilities for places or facilities belonging to the TNI to candidate pairs and political parties to be used as a means of campaign.

"The permit was not installed there at first, it turned out to be installed there, so we told the person concerned how come it was installed there, it was clear about the neutrality of the TNI. I asked the Dandim directly, it happened like that," said Yudo in Bandung, Monday (17/7).

He said the removal of the billboards was in accordance with the mechanism. Yudo also asked all parties to respect the neutrality of the TNI.