3-1-2024 (JAKARTA) Indonesia’s election watchdog, Bawaslu, has called upon the son of President Joko Widodo, who is also the running mate of the leading presidential candidate, to appear for questioning regarding an alleged campaign violation. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, who seeks to become vice-president alongside Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto as his running mate in the February 14 election, currently holds a substantial lead over rival presidential candidates Anies Baswedan and Ganjar Pranowo.
The Bawaslu chapter in Central Jakarta summoned Gibran after accusations arose that he had violated campaign rules by distributing free milk to people during a public “car-free day” event in December. Dimas Trianto Putro, an official at Bawaslu, stated on January 2 that clarification is necessary from Gibran to determine the veracity of the allegation.
Under a 2016 Jakarta gubernatorial regulation, “events for the interests of political parties” are prohibited during car-free day events, which designate major thoroughfares as vehicle-free zones.
While Bawaslu does not possess the authority to impose penalties on Gibran, it remains unclear whether city authorities will take any punitive action.
Habiburokhman, deputy head of Prabowo’s campaign team, informed Reuters that Gibran will comply with Bawaslu’s summons on January 3 at approximately 1 p.m. local time. Afriansyah Noor, another deputy of Prabowo’s campaign team, stated that the team will respect the agency’s decision if the allegations are proven true, emphasizing that they were unaware of any violation.
Gibran’s candidacy has been controversial due to a ruling by the country’s constitutional court in October, which removed an age restriction and paved the way for his participation in the elections.
While Prabowo currently maintains a lead over his opponents, Anies has experienced a recent surge in popularity. Two polls conducted in December by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies and Kompas newspaper indicated that Anies had surpassed Ganjar in the race.
