TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has said that there is no under-five year old child who is a communist. The President made the statement when complaining about social media reports linking him to the defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI).

"I could not hold my anger but I can hardly do anything about it," the president said here on Tuesday.

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The president said libels and allegations have been repeatedly issued against him that linked him to PKI, which was already banned in 1965 following aborted coup attempt. "Where is the logic. I was born in 1961 that means I was only 4 years at that time. Could a 4-year old child be involved in PKI rebellion?" Jokowi said when distributing farmland certificates in Sentul, Babakan Madang, Bogor, West Java.

The allegation is entirely baseless and no one with logic would believe that a child below five years old was a member of PKI, he added.

He asked the people to use logic and not easily provoked when hearing information especially from unknown sources. Unfortunately many people are easily convinced by hoaxes as they did not bother to think and use logic, he said.

Reports about hoaxes, libels and sensitive race, religious faiths and ethnic issues were rampant apparently to create instability ahead of the regional elections in June this year.

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The country will hold 171 regional elections for new governors, regent and mayors in June 2018 to be followed with legslative and presidential elections in 2019.

"We should not be set against each other ahead of the party of democracy to elect new regent/city mayors, governors and president. We are all brothers in a nation and a country," Jokowi said.

ANTARA