Tjahjo Kumolo Regrets Hoax on 7 Containers of Voted Ballot

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Minister of Home Affairs, Tjahjo Kumolo, regretted the spread of hoax issue related to the 2019 general election. One of them was the news about 7 containers at Tanjung Priok Port containing ballots that had already been voted.

Tjahjo said the news spread on various social media and Whatsapp groups. “After being checked by the KPU (General Election Commission) and Bawaslu (Election Supervisory Agency), everything is not true,” he said as quoted by a written statement, Thursday, January 3.

Previously, there was also the issue of adding 31 million Permanent Voters List (DPT) in the 2019 Election DPT. “Obviously, these are slanderous news, news that induces anxiety, hostile,” said Tjahjo.

Read also: KPU: Report on 7 Containers Full of Voted Ballot in Priok is Hoax

Tjahjo condemned the spreader of the hoax and irresponsibility news. This practice is considered to reduce public confidence in the election organizers, the government, and the election participants.

He invited all parties to reject and resist the practice he called the poison of democracy. He encouraged the public to report news that was not true to the police.

“Hoax news, slander, hate speech, and politicization of SARA are at a stage that cannot be tolerated anymore,” said Tjahjo.

Especially, if the news damages the process of consolidating democracy, namely the direct election which will be held on April 17, 2019. The stages and processes, according to him, have been running transparently and democratically.

VINDRY FLORENTIN