Bawaslu announced that an undisclosed number of candidates in 53 regencies and cities had hosted campaign events either without physical distancing and mask-wearing or with more than 50 people in attendance from Sept. 26 to Sept. 30. Bawaslu said it had dispersed the events, which were in violation of a General Elections Commission (KPU) regulation.

The regulation, issued on Sept. 23, bans candidates from holding rallies and crowded events such as concerts during the campaign period, which lasts from Sept. 26 to Dec. 5. Candidates must instead use online platforms to reach voters, and they may host face-to-face rallies indoors only when online campaigns are impossible. The events must be held under strict health protocols with no more than 50 attendees.

Candidates and members of their supporting political parties and campaign teams who violate the regulation will receive warnings from the KPU, a penalty that critics say is too lenient. Bawaslu may disband campaign activities in violation of social distancing rules and will report repeat offenders to the police.

Bawaslu member Mochammad Afifuddin said his office could not yet disclose the number of violations during the first week of campaigning because the data had not been compiled. He promised he would release details soon and would continue disclosing violations every week until the campaign season ended on Dec. 5.

He said 250 of the 582 campaign events held from Sept. 28 to Sept. 30 were face-to-face events and noted that candidates preferred promoting themselves in person to using online platforms. He said some of the in-person events had violated protocols but not all of them.

“We haven’t compiled the total number of campaign violations as of Friday, but what I can say is that many candidates still opted for face-to-face rallies,” Afifuddin told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

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