T

he violence in the run-up to the election in Aceh has increased further following the killing of legislative candidate Faisal from the National Aceh Party (PNA), who was shot dead by unidentified assailants.

The 40-year-old Faisal was shot and killed as he was driving his car on the main road connecting Meulaboh, West Aceh, and Tapak Tuan, South Aceh, at around 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Based on witness statements, the shooting is believed to have been committed by several people with rifles. As many as 42 bullet holes were found in the car following the attack.

'€œI have received a report relating to the shooting. We are investigating the case and conducting a manhunt for the perpetrators,'€ said Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Husain Hamidi.

According to Husain, police have deployed two teams to investigate the case.

'€œHowever, we have yet to determine whether or not the shooting was related to the election or to personal issues. We are still building the case,'€ he said.

To minimize election violence in the province, the Aceh Police have formed a special team to implement operation Mantap Brata, aimed at securing the election in Aceh, which is categorized as a violence-prone region.

'€œWe prepared this operation during the early stages of this election process and two-thirds of police officers across Aceh will be providing security during each stage of the election,'€ Husain said.

The PNA expressed its regret over the loss and condemned the slaying of one of its members.

'€œThe acts of violence encountered by our legislative candidates are completely undemocratic and they tarnish the democratic process in Aceh,'€ said party leader Irwansyah.

He urged the police to probe the cases of violence against legislative candidates from his party. He also called on political parties contesting the election to campaign fairly, without using violence.

'€œThe PNA has been put at a great disadvantage and we have lost some of our best members. We hope the police will solve the case soon,'€ Irwansyah said.

The PNA is one of Aceh'€™s local parties that is contesting the legislative election this year. The party was founded by former Aceh governor Irwandi Yusuf, who left the Aceh Party (PA), another local party established by Free Aceh Movement (GAM) combatants following the 2005 Helsinki peace agreement, which ended their 30-year struggle for an independent state.

The PNA is considered to be the PA'€™s strongest rival, as many of the PNA'€™s party executives and members are also former GAM combatants who are no longer on the same political wavelength as their former comrades.

Faisal'€™s murder brings the number of PNA members and legislative candidates killed ahead of the election to three. Two of them were shot and killed, while the third died after being brutally assaulted.

On Feb. 16, two masked men shot at a campaign post installed by Zubir HT, a Nasdem Party legislative candidate, in North Aceh regency. After firing at least eight bullets, the perpetrators assaulted two of Zubir'€™s supporters.

In response to the pre-election violence, Aceh Governor Zaini Abdullah said he expected all stakeholders to promote a peaceful election, arguing that any violence that arose ahead of the election could undermine the reconciliation in the province, which has thus far been maintained.

'€œWe don'€™t want a bloodbath in Aceh,'€ Zaini said.