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Elections agency records still more health violations
Supervisors have been threatened while attempting to disperse crowds.
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An official displays mock ballots during a regional elections simulation held at the General Elections Commission compound in Central Jakarta on July 22. (JP/Dhoni Setiawan)
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s the 2020 regional elections draw near, the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) has recorded 398 health protocol violations at in-person campaign events between Nov. 5 and Nov. 15, making for a total of 1,448 violations since the beginning of the campaign season.
The violations, which included failures to follow social distancing and mask-wearing rules and gatherings of more than 50 people, were in violation of a General Elections Commission (KPU) regulation that seeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
From the start of the campaign season on Sept. 26 to Nov. 15, Bawaslu shut down 158 in-person campaign events because candidates or campaign teams continued to violate health protocols after the agency had issued warnings.
“We dispersed those events with the help of public order agencies [Satpol PP] and the police. There were also moments when campaign organizers themselves shut down campaign events after being warned by Bawaslu officers,” Bawaslu member M. Afifuddin said recently.
According to a KPU regulation, candidates and their campaign teams are prohibited from holding events that are likely to attract crowds, such as mass rallies, concerts, markets and performances. Candidates must instead use online platforms to reach voters and may host face-to-face rallies indoors only when online campaigning is impossible. The events must follow strict health protocols and have no more than 50 attendees.
Bawaslu may order crowds to disperse or forcibly shut down campaign activities in violation of social distancing rules if campaign teams or crowds ignore the agency’s orders. Bawaslu may report repeat offenders to the KPU and recommend that it issue warnings for candidates, political party members and campaign teams who fail to ensure that events follow health rules. Critics have said this measure is too lenient.
Read also: More than 1,000 health protocol violations recorded halfway through December polls
