Prabowo Camp on Plan to Form National Legal Team: Dismiss Wiranto

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A spokesperson for the Prabowo - Sandiaga campaign team, Andre Rosiade, deemed the statement conveyed by Wiranto who willing to study public figures’ words by suppressing media through National Legal Team and people who provoke it caused a new public uproar.

“Instead of issuing a calming statement in this holy month, Ramadan, the government tends to scare off the public and cause a new public uproar, and it’s likely authoritarian,” said Andre on Monday, May 6.

As reported previously, the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs said the government would take stern action against any group or individual seeking to delegitimize the 2019 general elections by establishing a National Legal Team tasked to study words, actions, and ideologies of public figures.

According to Gerindra party secretary-general, the government is trying to scare off the people to remain silent and also the media to fear of ban.

Wiranto’s remark, he added, was authoritarian and did not in line with political vows echoed by Jokowi in 2014. “So my suggestion; dismiss Pak Wiranto.”

The lecturer at Jentera School of Law, Miko Ginting, seconded Andre’s statement. He said on Monday, May 6, that Wiranto took an excessive step “that will lead to new, unnecessary polemic.”

Miko underlined that law enforcement must be carried out within its constitutional corridor, that means to leave the case to law enforcers. If a figure’s statement considered a crime, that can be handled through criminal justice systems.

“No need to establish such team that has no clear authority basis,” he said, adding that National Legal Team would likely enlarge public’s suspicion that the government becomes more repressive and resistant to criticism.

REZKI ALVIONITASARI