TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The National Police will watch and anticipate social media contents that potentially sparked conflicts among Jakarta residents ahead of the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election.
"We're calling on the public not to do things that can spark anger and negative responses," National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said at his office in Jakarta on Monday, April 17, 2017.
The measure will be taken in connection with the second round of the Jakarta Gubernatorial Election that will be held on April 19, 2017. In addition, Boy said that the National Police will take actions against provocative information.
"It is possible that we will conduct investigations into contents that can cause conflicts among people," Boy added.
Boy hopes that public order will be maintained during the quiet period of the Jakarta Gubernatorial campaign that will last until April 18, 2017.
In the second round of the election, Jakarta Gubernatorial candidate pair number two Basuki Tjahaja Purnama or Ahok and Djarot Siaful Hidayat will compete against candidate pair number three Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno.
Although the quiet period has commenced since April 16, 2017, social media platforms are packed with postings related to staple food distributions allegedly conducted by supporters of Ahok-Djarot. The Ahok-Djarot campaign team had dismissed the allegation.
However, Ahok's camp released a video footage showing Anies distributing staple foods. Anies' campaign team clarified that the video footage was taken long before the first round of the election and is irrelevant with the second round.
CAESAR AKBAR|JH
