Jakarta – Presidential candidate Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has said that village supervisory non-commissioned officers (Babinsa) must remain neutral during the presidential election because they were part of the Indonesian Military (TNI).

Jokowi was responding to reports of biased Babinsa personnel who were pushing community members to choose one presidential ticket over the other.

Although Jokowi said he opposed the practice, as it was in violation of the law, he acknowledged that his party did not have sufficient evidence to file a report on the issue, as reported by tribunnews.com.

"I've just heard some rumors. However, we must gather evidence before taking further steps. I've been out in the field so I do not know whether there is any truth to the rumors," he said at the Aston Hotel in Jayapura, on Thursday night.

He added that he had already encouraged everyone involved in the presidential election campaigns not to disturb the TNI and National Police's neutrality.

"It's a standard statement to say. The institutions, TNI, National Police and the KPU [General Elections Commission] must be neutral. It is mandatory," he said.

Jokowi and his running mate Jusuf Kalla are backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) in a coalition that comprises the NasDem Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the Hanura Party, collectively representing 207 of a total 560 seats in the next House of Representatives. (fss)

Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/06/06/jokowi-urges-babinsa-remain-neutral.html