Election Participants Barred from Campaigning on Social Media on Cooling-off Days

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) reminded election participants to refrain from engaging in any form of campaign activities during the cooling-off period, which spans three days before the voting day on February 14. 

Lolly Suhenty, a member of the agency, said she has dispatched cyber patrols to monitor the social media accounts of election participants in order to ensure no campaigning activities are being carried out.

“And to make sure that the accounts do not do anything that shouldn't be done, such as incitement, defamation, because the ITE Law exists and Bawaslu has the authority to handle legal violations,” Lolly said on Feb. 11.

During the quiet period on Feb. 11–13, all campaign-related activities, whether direct or through social media, are strictly prohibited. “If there is still [any campaign activity], it will be considered a violation,” she added.

Lolly also called on election participants to desist from the practice of giving money or goods to the public in exchange for votes. This practice, known as money politics, is a violation of the Election Law.

“We all know that Article 523 paragraph 2 [of the Election Law] notes that the sanction is four years in prison plus a fine of Rp48 million if I'm not mistaken,” she explained.

It is worth noting that money politics is not limited to cash transactions; it also extends to the use of digital money. Bawaslu has been working with the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) to monitor this matter.

ANTARA

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