TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The editors in chief of three TV stations under the MNC Group failed to show up before the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), which summoned them to come on Thursday, March 8. The stations, RCTI, GTV and INews, were to be questioned about allegations that they broadcasted the campaign ad of the Indonesian Unity Party (Perindo) before the allowed period.
MNC Group corporate secretary Syafril Nasution said the editors couldn’t come because Bawaslu's summon was "too sudden".
Read: Bawaslu to Question Perindo over Campaign Time Violation
"We already have other agendas scheduled yesterday, while the Bawaslu told us to come on the evening of the day before," Syafril said on Friday, March 9.
He also said that the Bawaslu shouldn’t have summoned the editors in chief because they are not the people to talk to about advertisements and operational activities.
Syafril promised that the editors will come upon the next invitation by Bawaslu, in order to clarify the campaign that was allegedly aired prior to the allowed schedule.
Read: Bawaslu Asks Political Parties to Not Violate Campaign Time
Bawaslu member Mochammad Afifuddin said that the TV stations under MNC Group could be given criminal charges for the alleged political campaign violation. "They can be jailed for a maximum time of 18 months," he said.
The TV stations reportedly broadcasted Perindo's campaign advertisements on March 2. The KPU regulation stated that all political parties participating in the 2019 election cannot start their campaign before September 23, 2018.
