Jakarta ? Head of the Presidential Communications Office, Hasan Nasbi, emphasized that President Prabowo Subianto’s support for the regional head candidate pairs in the 2024 Pilkada does not violate applicable regulations. According to Hasan, this support was conveyed by Prabowo in his capacity as General Chair of the Gerindra Party, not as president.
“Mr. Prabowo is the party’s general chairman. As the party’s general chairman, he signs recommendations to nominate regional head candidates. That means he supports certain candidates,” said Hasan. The support, he continued, shows Prabowo’s role as the leader of the Gerindra Party who has the authority to choose candidates supported by his party.
Candidate pair Ahmad Luthfi?Taj Yasin in the Central Java Pilkada, for example, is one of the pairs that received support from the large coalition supporting the Prabowo Subianto?Gibran Rakabuming government, or what is known as the Advanced Indonesia Coalition (KIM) Plus. Hasan explained that the neutrality rule in the election is more specifically for the TNI/Polri and state civil apparatus (ASN), while the president and state officials are still allowed to provide support or even participate in the campaign, as long as they do not misuse state facilities.
“The president and state officials may participate in the campaign, provided that they do not abuse their official facilities to campaign, or campaign on working days without asking for leave,” said Hasan, who is also the founder of the Cyrus Network institution.
Responding to the news, General Election Commission (KPU) member August Mellaz stated that the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) is an institution that has the authority to review potential violations in the campaign by state officials, including the president. “Well, regarding what is currently developing, it will of course be reviewed by other institutions in this case Bawaslu,” said Mellaz when met by the media in Malang, East Java, Sunday (10/11/2024).
According to Mellaz, the KPU’s task in the Pilkada is to facilitate campaign activities in the regions so that all candidates and supporting parties can convey their programs and visions and missions optimally. “It’s time for the crucial stages. The stages of the Pilkada, starting from the installation of campaign equipment to facilitating debates,” he added.
The rules regarding the president’s right to engage in politics are regulated in Article 299 of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections. It explains that the president, vice president, and state officials are allowed to campaign as long as they do not use state facilities.
