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Ahok, Djarot told to take leave again for runoff campaign
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Gratitude -- Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama and Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat gather with their supporters at the pair's campaign headquarters, Rumah Lembang, in Menteng, Central Jakarta, to celebrate their victory in the first round of the gubernatorial election on Feb. 15. (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
J
akarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama and his running mate, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, will be obliged to take leave during the campaign period for the second round of the gubernatorial election slated for April, an official has said.
Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) head Sumarno said the mandatory leave was in accordance with election directives issued by the KPU.
“In principle, the KPU has mandated that incumbent candidates must take leave during the campaign period. There will be a legal basis to regulate how and when incumbent candidates should take leave,” he said at the KPU Jakarta office in Paseban, Central Jakarta, on Wednesday.
The runoff election campaign period is slated to start in early March.
Sumarno went on to say that the KPU Jakarta was in the process of formulating the mechanisms for campaign leave.
After taking three months of compulsory campaign leave ahead of the gubernatorial election on Feb. 15, Ahok came back to work at City Hall on Feb. 11.
Previously, Ahok had filed a request for a judicial review at the Constitutional Court to challenge the article in the Regional Elections Law that requires candidates take campaign leave.
He argued that such leave should be optional. To secure the deliberation of the City’s budget, Ahok initially refused to take leave.
The Constitutional Court has not yet ruled on the matter. (ebf)
