T

he Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama-Djarot Saiful Hidayat pair continues to face disruptions on their campaign trail as the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) calls on the city’s residents to give access to all contenders.

During his campaign visit to Kembangan Selatan, West Jakarta, Djarot encountered a group of people carrying banners opposing their presence in the area.

This time, the deputy governor, who is currently on leave, decided to confront the protesters even though his security guards and aides had asked him to return to the car.

Djarot told the mob, who started to yell out “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar [God is greater]”, that they violated the 2016 Regional Elections Law for hindering election contenders from campaigning, a felony that could send them to jail for six months.

He said such a protest could create political instability in the capital.

The protesters refused to accept Djarot’s statement.

“This is not a matter of the election. It is about blasphemy,” said one of the men, referring to the blasphemy allegations made against Ahok.

Hearing the answer, Djarot said that both he and Ahok had the right to campaign wherever they wanted.

“I have the right to go wherever I want. If you do not like us [Ahok and Djarot], don’t vote for us. About the [alleged] blasphemy, let’s leave that to the court. Let the court decide [whether or not it is true],” he said. “I beg you [not to protest this way again]. Islam is a friendly religion and full of love.”

Djarot failed to calm the protesters and decided to leave the premises to prevent a clash between the protesters and his security guards.

Responding to the latest campaign disruption incident involving the Ahok-Djarot pair, the KPU Jakarta head Sumarno said that his office would coordinate with the Jakarta Police and the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to address the problem.

Merry Hotma, a spokeswoman of the Ahok-Djarot campaign team, said her team was suspicious that the protesters were not local residents and that they were now collecting evidence to prove their allegation.

“They could be people from some local mass organizations,” she said.

Asked whether the team would provide tighter security assistance for the candidates, she said it would be unnecessary,

The Ahok-Djarot team had asked not to deploy many officers to assist Ahok and Djarot despite the protests. “I do not believe they will kill Ahok and Djarot although they say they will,” Merry said.

Wednesday’s protest was not the only backlash received by Ahok and Djarot. Ahok was the target of an angry mob last week during a campaign stop in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta. Police had to rescue him in a public minivan.

The attack occurred prior to massive protests by about 100,000 Muslims initiated by hard-line organization Islam Defenders Front (FPI) on Nov. 4 in Central Jakarta. They demanded that the outspoken governor be prosecuted over his alleged blasphemous remarks in which he cited a verse from the Quran.

Djarot also faced protests, when he visited a fisherfolk’s village in Cilincing, North Jakarta, last week, concerning the eviction programs planned by city administration.