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Many regional heads may have violated election rules
Doing it for the kids: Supporters of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) take their children to day care while campaigning for their party in Gajah Mada Square in Medan, North Sumatra, on Wednesday
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Doing it for the kids: Supporters of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) take their children to day care while campaigning for their party in Gajah Mada Square in Medan, North Sumatra, on Wednesday. (Antara/Septianda Perdana) (PKS) take their children to day care while campaigning for their party in Gajah Mada Square in Medan, North Sumatra, on Wednesday. (Antara/Septianda Perdana)
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span class="inline inline-none">Doing it for the kids: Supporters of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) take their children to day care while campaigning for their party in Gajah Mada Square in Medan, North Sumatra, on Wednesday. (Antara/Septianda Perdana)
The Elections Monitoring Agency (Bawaslu) has hinted that it has received complaints regarding violations allegedly being committed within North Sumatra province by regents and mayors who are also executives of political parties contesting this year's general election.
'We have received complaints of alleged violations [reportedly being] committed by, among others, North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho of the PKS [Prosperous Justice Party], Labuhanbatu Selatan Regent Wildan Aswan Tanjung of PAN [National Mandate Party], Simalungun Regent JR Saragih of the Democratic Party, Tapanuli Selatan Regent Syahrul Pasaribu of the Golkar Party and Sibolga Mayor Syarfi Hutauruk, also of the Golkar Party,' head of North Sumatra Bawaslu, Syafrida R. Rasahan, told The Jakarta Post.
Syafrida cited the violations allegedly committed by Governor Gatot, who placed pictures of himself in his governor's uniform on a number of campaign billboards while showing his three middle fingers to represent the PKS's serial number among the 12 political parties contesting this year's election.
Regent Wildan, in his capacity as chairman of PAN's Labuhanbatu branch, reportedly instructed civil servants within the regency to vote for PAN in the upcoming April 9 legislative election, Syafrida said.
Simalungun Regent JR Saragih, as chairman of Democratic Party's Simalungun branch, has been reported to have ordered high echelons of local government to use state assets to ensure the victory of his party in the upcoming election, she added.
Syafrida also mentioned that Tapanuli Selatan Regent Syahrul Pasaribu, in his capacity as chairman of Golkar's Tapanuli Selatan branch, has reportedly encouraged local residents to cast their votes for his younger brother Gus Irawan Pasaribu, who is running for the House of Representatives with the Gerindra Party.
Similarly, Sibolga Mayor Syarfi Hutauruk has reportedly influenced local residents to vote for his wife, who is running as a legislative candidate.
'These regional heads tend to use their authority, via their subordinates, for the victory of their respective political parties or family members who are running as legislative candidates,' Syafrida said.
Chairman of PAN's North Sumatra chapter, Syah Affandi, admitted that there were instructions for senior party members who hold office to 'influence' local residents to vote for PAN in the upcoming election.
He said, however, that his party would not tolerate any violations.
'It is wrong for any regional head of PAN to instruct local civil servants to vote for PAN. There must be sanctions given ' in the form of warning letters ' but only upon thorough verification [of the allegations],' he said.
Meanwhile, secretary of the Democratic Party's North Sumatra chapter, Tahan Manahan Panggabean, said he believed that Simalungun Regent JR Saragih had not violated any regulations.
