IO – With the start of the 2020 Regional Election (Pilkada) open campaign, Gerindra Party Secretary-General (Sekjen) Ahmad Muzani has urged candidate pairs to uphold health protocols during the campaign. Candidates must ensure that supporters and cadres do not gather in large numbers, maintain their distance, and always wear masks. “Therefore, we respectfully ask all candidates for regents, governors, and mayors who are promoted by Gerindra Party to convince their respective voters to uphold health protocols by keeping their distance, wearing masks, washing their hands and not crowding around,” said Muzani in his written statement.
Muzani also asked candidates not to involve many people in the campaign and not to hold concerts. Gerindra hopes the candidates will adhere to health protocols, as the safety of voters is the most important thing. “Gerindra will not support candidates for governors, mayors, regents, and deputies who justify all means that can ultimately sacrifice the community or the safety of our citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope we all stay healthy, and the Pilkada which will take place on December 9, 2020, will later also run smoothly so everyone is safe from COVID-19,” he explained.
Muzani further emphasized that the candidate pairs must abide by Pancasila as the basis of state ideology, by continuing to promote peaceful campaigns. “All our rivals in the regional elections, be it the governor, regent, mayor are our friends, our brothers, and all of them are people who are as good as us in terms of advancing society, increasing development and advancing our respective regions,” he said.
Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) member Mochammad Afiffudin said he would take action against candidates who violated the campaign rules in the 2020 Pilkada. The rules regarding the campaign in the 2020 Pilkada have been regulated in PKPU Number 13 Number 2020. “(Sanctions for campaign violators) have been stipulated in PKPU 13. We will carry them out according to the rules given,” he said.
KPU commissioner I Dewa Kade Wiarsa Raka Sandi emphasized that the KPU officially bans music concerts in the 2020 Pilkada due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has not ended. “a. general meeting; b. cultural activities in the form of performing arts, big harvest, and/ or music concerts; c. sports activities in the form of leisurely walks, and/or relaxing bicycles; d. races; e. social activities in the form of a bazaar and/or blood donation; and/or f. commemoration of political parties’ birthdays,” reads the document copy of KPU Regulation (PKPU) 13 of 2020.
Anya political party or coalition of political parties, pairs of candidates, campaign teams, and/or other parties that violates the prohibition will be subject to the first sanction in the form of a written warning by the Provincial Bawaslu or Regency/Municipal Bawaslu at the time of the violation. Second, termination and dissolution of campaign activities at the location where the Provincial Bawaslu or Regency/Municipal Bawaslu occurs if they do not carry out the written warning as referred to in the letter within 1 (one) hour after the written warning is issued.
The campaign phase starts on September 26 and ends on December 5, 2020. Then, the quiet period starts from December 6 to 8, 2020. Voting and vote counting will be held at the TPS on December 9, 2020. Announcement of the vote count results on December 9-15 2020. Finally, the recapitulation for the provincial level vote count for the Election of Governors and Deputy Governors on December 16-20, 2020. (Dan)