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Jakarta Post

Minister defends Ganjar over alleged ethics violation

The Home Ministry will not follow up on the Bawaslu's report. 

Nurul Fitri Ramadhani (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, February 27, 2019

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Minister defends Ganjar over alleged ethics violation Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo. (Antara/Wahyu Putro A. )

H

ome Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has come to the defense of Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo, who was accused of an ethics violation by the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) for endorsing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Tjahjo, Ganjar and Jokowi are senior members of the Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). 

The Central Java Bawaslu declared last week that Ganjar, along with 34 mayors and regents under his purview, had violated Law No. 23/2014 on regional administration by taking a side in the presidential election, which will be held in April. 

The agency said they were prohibited from collectively expressing their political preferences in public due to their position.

It made the accusation after video footage emerged of Ganjar declaring his support of Jokowi by also mentioning the official positions of the mayors and regents attending the event, which was held on Jan. 26 at a hotel in Surakarta, Central Java.

Bawaslu does not have the authority to impose sanctions or take further action against Ganjar and the 34 leaders as the Regional Administration Law is within the domain of the Home Ministry. The agency can only give the ministry its recommendation, which was sent on Monday.

However, Tjahjo insisted that Ganjar and the other leaders had not broken break any laws by attending the event.

“We have examined the report. [The regional leaders] have followed the regulation; they had taken a leave day,” Tjahjo said on Tuesday. “There will be no further action [taken against them]. Everything is clear.”

He added that his ministry would not follow up on any recommendations from the Bawaslu related to the matter.

Tjahjo said he was not attempting to protect Ganjar and the other local leaders, saying that they had secured clearance from the local chapter of the General Elections Commission (KPU).

The minister mentioned a similar case involving Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan.

Earlier this year, the election body grilled Anies for displaying a two-finger salute during a Gerindra Party national conference held in Sentul, West Java, in December 2018. He was accused of campaigning for Prabowo Subianto and running mate Sandiaga Uno because the gesture is widely associated with the pair. Prabowo is the only presidential challenger of Jokowi.

No sanctions were imposed on Anies, Tjahjo said, because the governor had followed the regulation and received clearance from the KPU. The Bawaslu later cleared Anies of any ethics violations.

Tjahjo’s response to the accusation against Ganjar and other leaders stirred controversy, especially among Prabowo’s supporters. Gerindra Party executive Ferry Juliantono said Tjahjo should have followed up on the Bawaslu’s recommendation. Otherwise, it would seem as if he had ignored the principle of impartiality among public officials.  

“If the Bawaslu said they violated the law, that means they did something wrong,” Ferry said.

Also on Wednesday, not long after Tjahjo responded to Ganjar’s case, a group of people called themselves Advokat Nusantara reported the minister to the central Bawaslu for being partial as a public official by showing support for Jokowi.

The group accused Tjahjo of violating the Election Law based on Tjahjo’s statement during an event held on Feb. 20.

In the event, Tjahjo asked the audience, including thousands of village heads from across the country, to respond by shouting “Jokowi” when he said “village fund”.

Bawaslu commissioner Rahmat Bagja said that, although no violations were found, the regional leaders should remain watchful over what they do and say.

Political expert Aditya Perdana of the University of Indonesia (UI) said it was difficult for regional heads to separate their positions as public officials from their positions as political party members.

“[It’s also difficult for them] to leave behind their identity as public officials when they join the campaign because they have the right and access to [state] facilities,” Aditya said.

 

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