Jakarta – A Gerindra Party Jakarta councillor running for reelection is being investigated for reportedly campaigning at a state junior high school in West Jakarta.
West Jakarta Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) chairman Oding Junaidi said councillor M. Arief handed out campaign paraphernalia and sarongs in goody bags to SMPN 127 teachers during a meeting in Kebon Jeruk on Oct. 10.
The goody bags were distributed after the teachers signed in for the meeting. "[Arief was invited as a] speaker at the meeting," Oding said as reported by kompas.com on Wednesday.
The organizing committee prepared the content of the meeting, Oding said, "but Arief instead talked more about himself during his session between 1 and 3 p.m."
Jakarta Bawaslu commissioner Puadi said the agency, along with police and public prosecutors under the Integrated Law Enforcement Center (Gakkumdu), found possible election law violations during the meeting.
Gakkumdu collected preliminary evidence and obtained clarification from the involved parties. "The police will investigate within the next 14 days," Puadi said.
Law No. 7/2017 on general elections prohibits campaigning in government buildings, places of worship and in educational facilities. The law also prohibits civil servants from being involved in political campaigns. (ami)