Solo Police Beef Up Security ahead of Jokowi, Prabowo Campaigns

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Central Java Police have intensified the security in Solo city ahead of the grand campaigns that will be held by presidential candidates Jokowi and Prabowo Subianto next week. According to the police, Solo is more prone to conflict than the other cities in the province.

“The grand campaigns will be held for two consecutive days,” said Central Java Police Chief Insp. Gen. Condro Kirono in Solo today, April 5.

Condro said the presidential hopeful number 01 would carry out his campaign on April 9, while the number 02 the day after. Participants who will present in the national scale campaign will not only hail from Solo and its vicinity “but also Yogyakarta and East Java,” he added. 

Read: Jokowi Camp to Hold Concert before Presidential Election

To date, the police have assigned four additional battalions to safeguard the campaign mass and will also deploy 400 personnel to secure the campaigns.

Additionally, Condro added, his side would invite the two campaign teams for discussions prior to the event following the clash between both camps several days ago in the area of Manahan Stadium.

The Prabowo-Sandiaga campaign team's advocacy member of Solo chapter, Sapto Ragil Dumadi, said a possible conflict between supporters is something that should be averted. “There should be mediation so [they] don't blame each other,” Sapto said, pledging that his people would stay calm to prevent conflict.

AHMAD RAFIQ (CONTRIBUTOR)