While much of the discourse on the presidential race has surrounded which candidates will make it to a likely runoff vote, all three camps have been accused of campaign violations just four weeks into the official campaign period.

According to recent opinion polls, presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate Gibran Rakabuming Raka are the pair to beat heading into the February 2024 election. Rivals Ganjar Pranowo and his running mate Mahfud MD as well as Anies Baswedan and running mate Muhaimin Iskandar are locked in a tight race for a spot in the possible runoff.

Prabowo and Gibran have also been accused of campaign violations, with the General Elections Commission (KPU) reprimanding Gibran on Monday for his actions at last week’s inaugural presidential debate.

“In a meeting evaluating [the first presidential debate], we have conveyed things that were not in accordance with the agreement we made at the beginning, including a vice presidential candidate giving signs and codes to encourage his supporters. That’s not allowed,” KPU chair Hasyim Asy’ari said on Monday, as quoted by Kompas.com.

He was referring to a moment during the debate when Gibran stood up from his chair in the audience section and gestured to his supporters to applaud Prabowo’s response to a question from Anies.

Anies had asked how Prabowo felt when then-Constitutional Court chief justice Anwar Usman was found guilty of an ethics violation over a court decision that enabled Gibran, Anwar’s nephew, to run for the vice presidency.

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