Jokowi`s Team Ensure Ma`ruf Amin to Not Campaign in Pesantren

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Deputy Chairman of the Jokowi-Ma`ruf Amin National Campaign Team, Abdul Kadir Karding, guaranteed that the vice-presidential candidate number 01, Ma'ruf Amin, would not campaign in the pesantren (Islamic boarding schools).

“We guarantee that there is no campaign in the pesantren. We welcome Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Body) to conduct surveillance,” Karding said at the Cemara Post, Jakarta, Monday, October 15.

Bawaslu member Fritz Edward Siregar said the candidate pair was only allowed to visit pesantren as long as they met a number of conditions.

“The conditions are, first, there should be no campaign elements, second, there are invitations, third, there should be no campaign attributes,” said Fritz.

Fritz explained the elements of the campaign in question was to convey the vision and mission, including displaying a self-image. He also said that the ban on campaigning in educational facilities is regulated in Article 280 of the Election Law.

The political observer of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Syamsuddin Haris, said that the visit of candidate pair to pesantren is part of the campaign.

“The visit of the candidate pair or the winning team is included in the category of the campaign,” Syamsuddin said on Monday, October 15.

Ma’ruf denied his presence at the pesantren as part of the campaign. “I did not campaign when I went to the pesantren, but always to stay in touch,” said Ma`ruf Amin.

DEWI NURITA