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Disruptions to incumbent's campaign might be organized: Ahok team
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Incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama speaks to residents in Lentang Agung, South Jakarta when he visited the area as part of his campaign prior to the Jakarta gubernatorial election on Feb. 15, 2017. Certain group of people have disrupted Ahok campaigns recently.
(JP/Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)
G
roups of people causing disruptions at several campaign stops of inactive Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama recently might have been organized by an individual or certain party, Ahok’s campaign team suspects.
A spokesman for the team, Jerry Sambuaga, said Saturday that the people disrupting the campaigns were not residents of the places where they had protested.
“I think it would be strange if [the disturbances] were not organized. Why? Because the local residents welcomed Ahok and they were even angry at the people [who protested his visit],” he said without mentioning the names of any parties suspected of being behind the protests.
(Read also:I'd rather be arrested and jailed than drop out of race: Ahok)
On Nov. 2, Ahok had to cut short a campaign stop in Rawa Belong, West Jakarta, and be rushed to safety by security personnel when a protest against his visit turned violent. The incident left one of his aides hospitalized.
Most recently, the incumbent governor had to cancel another visit to Kedoya, also in West Jakarta, on Thursday after a group of people claiming to be local residents rejected the visit.
Ahok’s team has reported the incident to both the Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and the police. Bawaslu Jakarta chairman Mimah Susanti said the agency was following up on the report, including communicating with the police.
Mimah said every candidate had the right to campaign and disrupting campaigns was a criminal act according to prevailing laws. (jun)
