REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Criminal law expert from Al Azhar Indonesia University, Suparji Ahmad said National Police should act based on fact and not assumption. Therefore, they should prove their statement claiming the movement to vote for new president, widely known as #2019GantiPresiden, brought harm to national unity.

"National Police must be neutral and decisive in handling the obstruction to #2019GantiPresiden movement in Surabaya on Sunday (August 26)," Suparji said on Monday (August 27).

Suparji asserted mass incursion to other group of people could not be legally justified. It could bring a negative impact as it was not a legal settlement. According to him, it is necessary to apply the applicable legal mechanism.

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"The declaration is a scientific forum or a demonstration. If there is a demonstration, there are provisions that stated they should give notice to the police," Suparji added.

Suparji said #2019GantiPresiden movement was part of democratic aspirations. Therefore, democratic methods should also be pursued.

On the other hand, if the declaration allegedly violated the rules because it was held not in the campaign period, Suparji said that the case must be reported to Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu).

Earlier, National Police has banned declaration of #2019GantiPresiden in Pekabanbaru, Riau and Surabaya, East Java. Police considered the action could disrupt public order.

“National Police states firmly that the notification letter on the action is not accepted and we will disband the event because it can potentially cause disruption to public order and threaten the unity and integrity of the nation,” said National Police's spokesman Setyo Wasisto on Sunday (August 26).

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