VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

President Joko Widodo stressed on the significance of enforcing health protocols across all stages of this year's simultaneous regional elections (Pilkada) to ensure a fair and peaceful democratic process and no new COVID-19 clusters.

"Of course, this is a new momentum to demonstrate a new approach to holding the simultaneous regional elections and an innovative way for both organizers and participants to practice democracy amid this COVID-19 pandemic situation," he noted in Jakarta on Wednesday.

At a virtual meeting held to discuss preparations for organizing the simultaneous regional elections at the Merdeka Palace here, Widodo called for the upcoming regional elections to be held fairly and peacefully in addition to ensuring security and safety for organizers and voters.

A total of 270 regions in Indonesia, comprising nine provinces, 224 districts, and 37 cities, will organize regional elections on Dec 9, 2020.

In connection with this democratic fiesta, People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Bambang Soesatyo drew attention to the importance of organizing it in a fair and democratic manner.

Soesatyo urged the General Elections Commission (KPU) and Elections Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) to take punitive action against regional head candidates found to have misused COVID-19 relief funds for political campaign trails.

"The KPU and Bawaslu must take firm action, as mandated by regulations, against the incumbent regional leaders contesting in the elections if they are found to be misusing the COVID-19 relief funds for their own political campaigns," he emphasized in a recent statement.

In response to reports sent by community members to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Soesatyo pressed for imposing sanctions on regional head candidates found violating laws and regulations.

Soesatyo called for the KPU and Bawaslu to work closely with the anti-graft body for continually monitoring the implementation of COVID-19-related relief programs to prevent embezzlement of funds before the convening of the simultaneous regional elections.

Soesatyo also warned that participating regional head candidates should not misuse the state's facilities and funds for matters unrelated to the handling of the COVID-19 crisis. (ANTARA)