Pangkalpinang – Ahead of the Repeat Election (Pemungutan Suara Ulang / PSU) for the Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Pangkalpinang 2025, various parties are urging the public not to be trapped by provocations or negative issues that could undermine the democratic atmosphere.
Teguh, a representative of the Berbenah Team, emphasized that his group was not involved with posts from a social media account attacking one of the candidate pairs.
According to him, the allegations regarding the spread of errors attributed to a candidate pair did not originate from his team.
“We have no knowledge of such data, let alone the intention to spread it. Clearly, it did not come from our team,” Teguh said on Tuesday (August 19, 2025).
He assessed that the account was deliberately exploited by irresponsible actors seeking to divide society.
“We hope the Pangkalpinang PSU can proceed peacefully and safely, with the public making wise choices without being provoked by black campaigns,” he added.
Acting Mayor of Pangkalpinang, M. Unu Ibnudin, also stressed the importance of neutrality among Civil Servants (Aparatur Sipil Negara / ASN).
He emphasized that all ASN are prohibited from engaging in practical politics and must maintain professionalism at all times.
“ASN neutrality is absolute. We expect all ASN in the Pangkalpinang City Government to firmly uphold their stance and refrain from practical politics,” Unu said.
“This is not only a moral commitment but also a legal obligation,” he underlined during a Coordination Meeting on the Repeat Election.
He added that the City Government, together with the Election Commission (KPU) and the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu), has been carrying out more intensive voter data updates.
Technical preparations have also been made, including the installation of billboards encouraging voter participation and the provision of health support for polling staff.
“We have prepared medical personnel in every district to anticipate emergencies on election day,” he noted.
From the security side, National Police Chief General Listyo Sigit Prabowo affirmed that the police, together with all elements, continue to hold peace declarations for the elections.
He urged the public to remain calm despite the increasing political dynamics, especially on social media.
“Our hope is that even though there are differences of opinion, and lately we have seen rising tensions on social media and television, people at the grassroots level will not be affected,” General Sigit said.
He reminded that differences of opinion are part of democracy.
“Differences in opinion must not lead to problems or even unrest,” he stated.
According to him, maintaining peace during the PSU will serve as a sign of Indonesia’s democratic maturity.
