Jakarta – The President still has the right to declare support for a particular candidate as long as it is in accordance with the applicable rules and laws (Ahmad Luthfi-Taj Yasin) the support is within the corridor as the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party as the supporting party. This was stated by the Daily Chairperson of the Gerindra Party, Sufmi Dasco Ahmad.
He emphasized that the support was a normal attitude for the General Chair of the Gerindra Party, which is part of the coalition of supporting parties, and his right to provide support to regional head candidates was not lost, even though he had become president.
Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said the President has the right to express support or campaign as long as he follows the applicable rules, including taking leave while campaigning.
“During the campaign, the president can call and invite the public to vote for a particular candidate pair as long as it is in accordance with the laws and regulations,” he said.
Dasco said Prabowo’s attitude to campaign for one of the candidates in the 2024 Pilkada is regulated in Article 58 of Law Number 20 of 2023. In the policy, it is stated that a president as a state official may campaign.
The provisions for state officials in campaigning are clearly regulated in the KPU Regulation, so that its implementation must comply with existing conditions and limitations, including regarding office facilities.
The same thing was also conveyed by Al Azhar academic Ujang Komarudin.
“As long as it is done within the corridor as the head of a political party, it is legitimate.”
He further said that if you look at the video circulating, the support conveyed by Prabowo Subianto is not an intervention or political interference and does not conflict with the law.
Prabowo conveyed the support as the General Chairperson of the Gerindra Party which supported Ahmad Lutfhi in the 2024 Central Java Pilkada, without intervening in the matter.