“According to a new regulation, if incumbents who have been declared candidates refuse to take leave during the campaign period, they will be eliminated from their [race],” KPU Jakarta chairman Sumarno said in Jakarta Friday.

In August, Ahok had filed a judicial review with the Constitutional Court to demand the court annul the leave requirement stipulated in the Regional Elections Law.

Ahok said he refused to take leave because he did not plan on holding a campaign. He said he preferred to focus on preparing the 2017 Jakarta city budget bill. Hearings on the issue are still taking place.

Sumarno said any candidate, when registering with the KPU Jakarta, had to submit a letter declaring their readiness to take leave during the campaign period.

But he said should the Constitutional Court decide in favor of Ahok's request, the commission would abide by the court’s decision and would revise its regulations accordingly.

Separately, Ahok said he would take leave if the court rejected his judicial review or failed to make a decision on the matter until the campaign period begins. (bbn)

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