Kontras Asks Bawaslu to Clarify Communism Issues in Regulations

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) has asked the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) to specify the prohibition on the dissemination of communism issues during general elections.

“This issue is increasingly becoming an attacking instrument in elections since the 2014 presidential election,” said Kontras member Dimas at the Bawaslu office on Friday, June 22. 

According to Dimas, issues surrounding communism were not clearly specified in the electoral regulations as to wheter they would be deemed either hate speeches or black campaigns. He added Bawaslu's failure to take stern action against such issues in the 2014 presidential race had caused them to spread to regional elections. 

Read: Burying the Ghost of Communism

“This is the impact of the widespread issues in the 2014 presidential election that was not firmly acted upon until this issue increasingly becomes an attacking tool among regional head candidates,” he said.

Bawaslu commissioner Afifuddin, meanwhile, admitted that the issues of communism had not yet been detailed in the electoral regulations. He added that such issues were indeed highly destructive and prone to stirring conflicts. 

"It is true that issues on communism have yet to be specified in the electoral regulations, but they will be generalized as hate speeches and black campaigns," he said. 

He added the Bawaslu had also kept a close watch on communism issues and it was set to deploy more personnel to susceptible areas.

TAUFIQ SIDDIQ