Escalating violence in the run-up to the elections could potentially harm democracy in Aceh as security is an important indicator of a successful election, says a human rights activist.

'€œTo ensure security, the police should improve intelligence and monitor the potential for violence ahead of the elections,'€ said the Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) Aceh chapter coordinator Gilang Detika on Tuesday.

Gilang was speaking following the death of a National Aceh Party (PNA) legislative candidate, Faisal, who was shot dead by an unidentified armed gang on Sunday.

The Kontras Aceh disclosed that the violence in Aceh ahead of the April 9 legislative election involved actors from rival-contesting party groups.

A number of legislative candidates from local as well as national political parties, including the PNA and the Nasdem Party, have been targeted.

Based on data from Kontras Aceh, there have been as many as 31 cases of violence since the initial stage of the election process. The forms of violence vary, such as assault, intimidation, vandalism, gun crime and explosives.

'€œThe Aceh Police must resolve these cases to instill a sense of security in the run-up to the elections,'€ said Gilang.

According to Gilang, the police had failed to disclose criminal cases related to the elections, thus, this had set a bad precedent in the framework of police reform and professionalism. It also evidenced that they state had failed to provide security and protection for its citizens'€™ political rights.

Separately, the Aceh Police said it would resolve the cases of violence ahead of the elections, especially the armed attacks, which had resulted in the loss of lives including the PNA legislative candidate Faisal.

'€œWe will investigate the case comprehensively. We have deployed a special team for the investigation and to collect witness testimonies,'€ said Aceh Police chief Brig. Gen. Husain Hamidi.

However, the police is yet to arrest anyone in relation to the murder of the PNA candidate.

PNA party executives posited that the murder had been planned carefully by particular groups.

'€œAccording to statements from the victim'€™s family, on the day of the shooting, unidentified guests came to meet him [Faisal]. The victim also received a phone call asking him to return to Sawang immediately,'€ said the PNA head Irwansyah.

The murder of the PNA candidate, he continued, was regarded as an extraordinary crime and would be impossible to resolve through the normal law procedures as it undermined state security and public order.

'€œWe call on the President, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs as well as the National Police chief to coordinate and deal with the violence [...] in order to maintain peace in Aceh,'€ said Irwansyah.

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