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Crowd ban sufficient to ensure safety of December polls: KPU
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Right to vote, right to health: During a dry run of the Dec. 9 regional elections at the General Elections Commission (KPU) compound in Central Jakarta on July 22, an official presents the ballots. Health protocol will be enforced during the elections to minimize the risk of contracting COVID-19. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
T
he General Elections Commission (KPU) has completely banned candidates running in the December regional elections from holding rallies or other crowd-pulling events, such as concerts, bazaars and art performances, as the campaign season draws near.
The prohibition is laid out in the latest regulation the KPU issued on Wednesday to revise a previous regulation that allowed rallies and concerts, which might have become sources of coronavirus transmission.
The new policy allows only online events on social media and video conferencing platforms during the campaign period, which begins on Saturday and lasts until a few days before voting day.
The new regulation also tightens social-distancing rules and health measures, which will apply throughout the campaign season and until the election on Dec. 9 to determine 270 regional leaders, including nine governors.
Candidates and members of their supporting political parties and campaign teams who violate the regulation will receive warnings from the KPU. The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) will report them to the police if they repeat the violation. The new policy grants Bawaslu the power to disband any campaign activities in violation of social-distancing rules.
Read also: 50 cities, regencies ‘highly vulnerable’ to virus-related election disruption: Bawaslu
The regulation follows a mandate from the government and lawmakers to revise the KPU regulation on Monday in order to prevent the spread of the disease during the elections. The government and lawmakers have defended holding the elections despite opposition from the public on the grounds that the outbreak was still under control.
