Minister Wants Hoax Banned in Regional Elections Campaign
29 August 2017 08:20 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Home Affairs Minister Tjahjo Kumolo wants black campaign and hate speech banned in 2018 regional elections campaign. “If a campaign team spread hoaxes or hate speech, the candidate must be disqualified,” he said yesterday.
Therefore, candidates will have to comply with the General Election Commission (KPU) regulations. Tjahjo added that stern actions shall be taken because black campaign is divisive. “Candidate should never defame and tear each other down,” he said.
Division among people took place in Jakarta election. A rally called “212 act” was held by Islamists last year, accusing gubernatorial candidate Basuki Tjahaja Purnama of insulting the Qur’an.
The police have recently cracked down a hate speech group on Facebook called Saracen. They said that Saracen sold their services on social media and owned 800,000 accounts.
Some 171 regions will hold simultaneous elections in June 2018, comprising 17 provinces, 115 districts and 39 cities.
The House of Representatives (DPR) government commission speaker Zainuddin Amali said that he backs the governments proposal over stricter rules on hate speech and hoaxes.
DIAS PRASONGKO | ARKHELAUS WISNU
