Yuliana Zahara Mega, the chairwoman of the Cinta Ahok volunteer group, said that Sumarno had been reported to the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) for trying to discredit Ahok and his running mate Djarot Saiful Hidayat during the final debate on April 12 by engaging civil groups, which often opposed the incumbent’s policies, to prepare questions for the debate.

“The report is based on the runoff debate, which allegedly has been used by Sumarno to defame and corner the Ahok–Djarot pair,” Yuliana said, as quoted by Antara news agency on Monday.   

The groups included the Indonesian Traditional Fishermen's Association (KNTI), which often protested Ahok’s reclamation policy, and a community called Apartments and Toilets for All Residents, in which a member, Sukarto, had said he resented the governor.

The group also question the commission’s decision to involve a political analyst from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, who, according to the group, often expressed opinions that were not in line with Ahok’s policies, thus her appointment as a panelist could indicate that Sumarno was not neutral.  

Separately, Sumarno has denied the accusation, saying it was the panelist team who selected the civil groups for the debate.

On April 7, DKPP decided that Sumarno had violated the code of conduct by postponing the preliminary meeting to announce the runoff on April 4. (cal)

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