JAKARTA — The Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu RI) emphasized that the appearance of Ganjar Pranowo on the call to prayer broadcast on a television station (TV) was not a campaign.
Of course, it is not without reason why this opinion emerged, because up to now there has been no record of any election participants at all.
Chairman of Bawaslu RI, Rahmat Bagja, explained that a campaign effort includes having election participants and also making statements to convince the public to vote for him.
Meanwhile, the adhan video showing the figure of Ganjar Pranowo on television does not include these elements at all.
“Is that an election participant (or) not? Then to convince, convince him where?” Bagja said.
Until now, the man who was born in Karanganyar Regency has not yet become an election participant because he has not registered as an official presidential candidate at the KPU.
This is because the registration schedule for the presidential and vice presidential candidates themselves is planned to be carried out around October or November 2023.
“We haven’t registered yet,” said Bagja.
Therefore, the existence of a video showing the call to prayer showing the figure of Ganjar Pranowo is considered in no way contrary to Law Number 17 of 2017 concerning Elections.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Religion (Wamenag) of the Republic of Indonesia, Saiful Rahmat Dasuki, believes that broadcasting the call to prayer is not a practice of identity politics.
“I don’t think so (identity politics),” he said.
In fact, he did not have any problem with the presence of Ganjar Pranowo in the call to prayer broadcast, because it did not damage the force of the call to prayer itself.
According to him, it might be different if it turns out there is a political figure using his political attributes, then this has entered into identity politics.
“The call to prayer is just part of the broadcast. Unless the identity is ‘I am A, you are B’, that is not allowed. “That’s just part of what it is, a normal ritual,” said the Deputy Minister of Religion.
Previously, the Secretary General of the PDI Perjuangan, Hasto Kristiyanto himself, had also explained that the broadcast of the call to prayer featuring the figure of Ganjar Pranowo was not identity politics.
According to him, the white-haired man was indeed a religious figure, including his family from the Islamic boarding school.
“Not (identity politics). Mr. Ganjar Pranowo is a religious figure. His religiosity is not artificial. “His wife, Mrs. Siti Atikoh, is also from the Islamic boarding school,” said Hasto.
On the contrary, as a Muslim, what Ganjar has done is capable of being an example for others and should be highly appreciated.
“Performing (prayers) five times a day is a positive thing. For Christians, invite them to church. “For Hindus (worshipping) in temples, that is a good thing,” said Hasto.
