he West Java Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu West Java) has recommended that provincial gubernatorial candidate pair Sudrajat and Ahmad Syaikhu be punished for violating election regulations after whipping out a T-shirt with an antipresident message in the second gubernatorial public debate.
Bawaslu West Java chairman Harminus Koto said the committee had found the pair guilty of violating election rules on displaying unregistered campaign materials.
“We recommend that the General Elections Commission (KPU) impose administrative punishments [against the pair] immediately,” Harminus said on Wednesday afternoon.
While delivering the closing remarks in Monday’s debate, Sudrajat promised that should the pair win, they would change the president. Ahmad then whipped out a T-shirt bearing the words “2018 Asyik [Sudrajat – Ahmad Syaikhu] Wins, 2019 Change of Presidents.”
West Java KPU chairman Yayat Hidayat promised to follow up on the recommendation soon.
“We will look at the violation first before deciding on the punishment.”
According to the regulation, administrative sanctions range from verbal and written reprimands to revoking the candidate’s invitation to the last round of official debate.
Sudrajat and Ahmad are backed by three parties in the election, namely the Gerindra Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the National Mandate Party (PAN).
The controversial remarks were based on the political hashtag recently popularized by PKS politician Mardani Ali Sera, who expressed support for Gerindra patron Prabowo Subianto for the 2019 presidential election. (kuk/swd)
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