"I am very optimistic that the campaigns will run smoothly, safely and free from transmission," Tito said on Friday as reported by kompas.com.

 

He added that the campaigns would even help the handling of COVID-19 across the country as the General Elections Commission (KPU) had allowed candidates to use personal protective equipment (PPE) and hand sanitizer as campaign props.

 

The commission had also set COVID-19 mitigation as the main theme for the candidates' public debates.

"Imagine if each of the 723 candidates hands out 100,000 PPEs to the public — there would be more than 70 million PPEs distributed. I'm sure that could lower COVID-19 transmission as long as the public uses [the PPEs]," Tito said.

 

The KPU recently revised a regulation (PKPU) on holding the regional elections during the COVID-19 pandemic that officially prohibited campaign events that would attract crowds during amid mounting concerns over heightened transmission across the country.

 

Many political parties have told their candidates to prioritize virtual campaigning and to stay disciplined in applying COVID-19 health protocols.

 

Despite reports of candidates violating health protocols, the first campaign week for the upcoming elections ran smoothly, Tito claimed.

 

He said there had not been as many health violations as in early September when more than 100 candidates brought large entourages with them while registering for the elections.

 

"We just need to remain consistent [in following health protocols] until the end of the elections," he added.

There have been mounting calls from organizations and activists for the government to postpone the regional elections, slated to take place on Dec. 9 in 270 regions across the archipelago, and prioritize public health following a persistent spike of coronavirus transmissions, including the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and prominent Muslim groups.

 

LIPI political research center head Firman Noor said the decision to go ahead with the elections during a public health crisis showed the government’s imprudence.

 

“This is not a wise attitude of a democratic government formed based on the will of the people,” he said on Thursday.

 

Holding regional elections in the middle of a pandemic would lead to humanitarian violations as a result of neglect of human safety, he argued.

 

Citing data from the national COVID-19 task force, Firman said the number of infections in September was almost four times the average figure in July and August.

 

“And this figure does not reflect the real conditions because of a relatively small number of rapid and swab tests,” he said, adding that the situation was worsened by poor public adherence to health protocols.

 

The 2020 Regional Elections Vulnerability Index issued by the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) shows that 50 districts and cities set to hold elections in December are in the highly vulnerable category, so are nine provinces, Firman said.

 

Meanwhile, 126 districts and cities are in the medium-prone category and 85 districts and cities in the low-prone category.

 

At least 63 candidate pairs have also been exposed to COVID-19, showing the election had the potential to create new clusters, Firman said.

 

“On the one hand, the government has restricted community activities,” he said as quoted by kompas.com. “On the other hand, it provides an opportunity for mass [gatherings] during the process of regional elections, from pre-campaigning and the campaign season to voting day.”

 

Indonesia's two largest Islamic organizations, the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, have voiced similar concerns over the issue.

“We request that the General Elections Commission [KPU], the government and the House of Representatives postpone the 2020 regional elections until [Indonesia] passes the health emergency,” NU Executive Board (PBNU) chairman Said Aqil Siradj said recently.

 

In a press conference held on Sept. 2, Muhammadiyah general secretary Abdul Mu'ti said: “We recommend that [the government] carefully consider postponing the elections.”

 

The government and House Commission II overseeing home affairs have decided to go ahead with the elections on Dec. 9, though the House has asked the KPU to revise KPU Regulation No. 10/2020 on the 2020 regional elections to specifically include provisions prohibiting mass gatherings and to promote online campaigns instead. (syk/nal)