Jokowi Reported to Bawaslu for Alleged Election Law Violation

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A supporter group of presidential candidate pair number 3 Ganjar-Mahfud, Jarnas Gamki Gama, planned to report President Joko Widodo or Jokowi to the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) for alleged violations amid the campaign season for the 2024 general elections.

Rapen Sinaga, the chairman of Jarnas Gamki Gama, said the alleged violation occurred in Salatiga, Central Java, on January 22, when a 'V sign’ was raised from the window of the president’s official car, allegedly by Iriana. 

“Two fingers (V sign) are shown when Ganjar-Mahfud supporters shouted ‘long live Ganjar, long live Ganjar’ at Jokowi [as the president's car passed by],” Rapen said on Friday.

Rapen assessed that the V sign was a symbol of support for the presidential candidate pair number 2, Prabowo Subianto-Gibran Rakabuming Raka. “The action made by Jokowi while using state facilities, the presidential car, and the fact that Jokowi is not in the Prabowo-Gibran camp is a criminal violation of the Election Law,” he said.

According to him, the President is suspected of violating Article 547 of the Election Law, which notes that any state official who deliberately makes a decision or takes an action that benefits or harms one of the election contenders during the campaign season shall be sentenced to a maximum imprisonment of three years and a maximum fine of Rp36,000,000.

Apart from that, Rapen emphasized that Jokowi is not part of the Prabowo-Gibran campaign team registered with the General Elections Commission (KPU).

“Even though the law says that [the president] is allowed [to take sides in elections], Jokowi as the head of government must stand above all parties,” said Nikson Gans Lalu, administrator of Jarnas Gamki Gama, in a phone call on Friday, January 26.

Jarnas Gamki Gama planned to file the report today, January 26. Nikson hoped that Bawaslu could summon President Jokowi and First Lady Iriana and launch an investigation. “So we demand that the act of statesmanship be prioritized.”

IKHSAN RELIUBUN

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