Jakarta Police Chief Asks Public to Cool Down Ahead of Elections

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Chief of the Jakarta Police Inspector General Gatot Pramono has appealed the public to cool down ahead of the 2019 legislative and presidential elections.

"We call on all components of society including the media, to cool down, as yesterday the political temperature was high," he said here, Sunday, following a joint military and police roll call on preparations for the security arrangement of the upcoming elections.

The joint  roll call was participated in by thousands of personnel of the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and the National Police. Pramono was accompanied by the Kodam Jaya Regional Military Commander, TNI Major General Eko Margiyono.

The 2019 elections will be guarded by both police and military officers throughout the country

The election process is now entering the cooling off period from April 14 to 16, and the political atmosphere is currently very calm and conducive, according to him.

Read also: Military, Police Conduct Roll Call on Preparations for Elections

"No more becoming provocateurs, agitators or 'stoves' that could cause heat. Now, it's calm. We must maintain it," he said.

The upcoming election is part of a five-year routine democratic agenda which will always be held to determine the government tenure.

Therefore, there is no need to sacrifice something bigger, namely the unity of the NKRI (the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia), according to the Jakarta police chief.

For the security arrangement of the elections on April 17, the Indonesian National Police and the TNI will deploy 38,000 personnel, consisting of 23,000 police officers and 15,000 military personnel.

"We will give the best to the community, it is safe to come to polling stations, and we guarantee it," he said.

Indonesia will organize simultaneous legislative and presidential elections across the country on April 17, 2019,  where incumbent presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi)  and his running mate Ma'ruf Amin will face challenger Prabowo Subianto and his pair, Sandiaga Uno.  The turnout is expected to reach at least 70 percent of the total 192 million eligible voters.

ANTARA