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Jakarta beefs up security for 2019 general elections
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Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis (center), Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono (left) and Jakarta Military Command spokesman Col. Kristomei Sianturi (right) speak to the press after holding a video conference with National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian, Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Marshall Hadi Tjahjanto, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Minister Wiranto and Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo on the 2019 general elections at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Sept. 24. (Antara/Muhammad Adimaja)
T
he Jakarta administration and Jakarta Police have stepped up security measures following the official start on Sunday of the campaign period for next year’s simultaneous legislative elections and presidential elections.
The Jakarta Police are set to deploy 16,000 personnel, or two-thirds of their full force, to secure the capital throughout the election campaign period, which ends on April 13. The National Police is also ready to send reinforcements to Jakarta if needed.
“We anticipate terrorist activities, crimes that can disturb the peace and security, as well as smear campaigns that spread hoaxes to divide the people,” Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen. Idham Azis said on Monday after a video conference with National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian.
The Jakarta Police created a special cyber task force in March to handle cases of fake news making the rounds on social media.
Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan said the administration would also support law enforcement by arranging the signing of peace pledges from the provincial to the subdistrict level as part of the nationwide peace declaration for the elections.
“We have held peaceful regional elections before and Insha Allah [God willing], next year’s election will also be peaceful,” he said at the Jakarta Police headquarters.
The peace pledge is an informal treaty signed by all competing political parties promising to avoid and prevent violence, hoaxes, money politics and ethnoreligious politicization.
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, his running mate Ma’ruf Amin and their competitors Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno also joined the national-level peace pledge held at the National Monument (Monas) on Sunday. (nor)
