TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The police said they were not providing president-elect Joko Widodo with special security despite the recent rumor of a bomb threat targeting the City Hall on Tuesday, July 22, 2014. Jokowi returned to the City Hall on Tuesday to resume his duty as the capital’s governor, pending his inauguration as the country’s top man in October.
“Yesterday’s threat was only a hoax, we did not receive information about it,” Jakarta Police public relations head Sr. Comr. Rikwanto said on Wednesday. He added the police did not dispatch addition personnel to guard Jokowi.
Jakarta Police operations deputy Sr. Comr. Chairul Alamsyah confirmed Rikwanto’s statement, adding that there was no special security for Jokowi. “It’s already complying with the procedure and the security was the same as during the presidential election,” he said.
Chairul said the contract on the security for presidential contenders expired on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, yet he explained he had yet to receive orders from the National Police headquarters to pull out the personnel.
During the presidential campaign period, some 100 guards were assigned to secure both presidential hopefuls. According to initial plans, the security for both presidential candidates will only last until the announcement of the election results by the General Elections Commission (KPU) on July 22, 2014.
Defeated presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto, however, has balked at accepting the KPU’s final tally results and planned on taking the case to the Constitutional Court (MK). The police have called on both presidential camps to keep their cool in light of Prabowo's statement.
“We hope the conditions remain secure, just like yesterday,” Chairul said.
M. ANDI PERDANA
