Bawaslu Meets President Jokowi
President Jokowi accompanied by Minister of Law and Human Rights Yasonna Laoly and Minister of State Secretary Pratikno receives the leaders of Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) at Bogor Presidential Palace, West Java, Tuesday (24/7) (Photo: PR/Rahmat)
Leaders of the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) led by its Chairman Abhan on Tuesday (24/7) met with President Joko Jokowi Widodo at Bogor Presidential Palace to report the results of the supervision during the 2018 Simultaneous Regional Election last month.
(The report includes) the results of supervision, progress of election-related dispute petitions to the Constitutional Court (MK), and several violations that occured during the elections, Abhan told reporters after the meeting.
He added that the meeting also discussed neutrality of civil servants, members of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), and Indonesian National Police (Polri). The President emphasized neutrality of the TNI, Polri, civil servants, and the election organizers, he said.
Therefore, to maintain neutrality of civil servants, TNI, and Polri in the 2019 presidential and parliamentary elections, Bawaslu has proprosed a forum between the board and the Government to discuss any preventive measures to avoid violation in terms of neutrality.
The President gives a positive response. There will be a forum that allows us to supervise neutrality of civil servants, TNI, and Polri, Abhan said, adding that 721 violations regarding neutrality issue committed by civil servants were reported during the 2018 Simultaneous Regional Election.
We have reported the violations to Civil Servants Commission and it has also informed civil servants regional administrator to impose sanctions, including warnings and other sanctions, Abhan said.
As for violations of the neutrality committed by members of Polri, Abhan said that some cases were reported in the provinces of Maluku, Makassar, and North Maluku. During the 2018 regional election, we recorded several cases of neutrality violation committed by members of Polri, one of which occurred in Maluku province. The Polri Chief has taken a firm action to discharge the suspect from his position as Deputy Police Chief of Maluku, Abhan said.
Responding to the reporters questions on the violations in terms of neutrality, Abhan explained that some examples include partiality or intervention of the election organization. In North Maluku, for example, I notice that the regional election was organized completely in a peaceful manner, but there were still small issues that arose, such as intervention from certain police officers, Abhan said. (UN/ES) (RAS/EP/Naster)
