Jakarta – Rights Group SETARA Institute chairman Hendardi evaluated that the current force of National Military (TNI) and Police can guarantee neutrality in 2018 Regional Election. Thereby people, he stated, need not be concerned about their neutrality in the election.
"Such a concern is understandable, but when we consider the leaders of both forces, neutrality will be strongly upheld." Hendardi said on Saturday (20/1).
Nevertheless, in the long term, Hendardi went on, election committee needs to establish measurable mechanisms to ensure National Military and Police neutrality. "For instance by implementing a certain period of time for Military and Police members to be able to contest in politics," he said.
In a short term, Hendardi claimed, concerns on National Military and Police neutrality in the upcoming election must be neutralized by the performance of Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and other law officers to ensure that both institutions do not intervene.
– Dewi Nurita