REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) decided not to continue the case of campaign violations by Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Minister of Finance Sri Mulyani Indrawati. The case of one-finger pose did not meet the element of election crime.
Bawaslu member Ratna Dewi Pettalolo lauded Luhut and Sri Mulyani as they were cooperative in undergoing investigation of alleged campaign violation. Ratna appealed state and regional officials to emulate such attitude.
“Mr Luhut and Mrs Sri actually good examples for state or regional officials. We really appreciate their presence to Bawaslu in capacity as ministers, as a form to accept the process,” said Ratna on Tuesday (Nov 6).
Based on the official written statement from Bawaslu, the decision was officially stipulated on Tuesday (Nov 6). "The status of report number 06 / LP / PP / RI / 00.00 / X / 2018, on behalf of the reported party Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan and Sri Mulyani Indrawati cannot be followed up," said the statement from Bawaslu.
According to Bawaslu, the report on October 18, 2018 did not fulfill the elements of criminal provisions, as mentioned in Article 547 of Election Law Number 7 of 2017. Article 547 describes the criminal provisions for alleged violations of Article 282 of Election Law Number 7 of 2017.
Meanwhile, Article 282 itself explains the prohibition for state officials to make decisions that benefit and harm one of the election participants. The criminal sanction contained in article 547 is the threat of imprisonment of 3 years and a fine of Rp. 36,000,000 (thirty six million rupiah).
Previously, the Nusantara Advocate Team officially reported Luhut and Sri Mulyani to Bawaslu on October 18 afternoon. The legal counsel of the reporting party, M Taufiqurrohman, said that the two state officials were suspected of taking actions that would benefit one of the presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs.
Article 282 itself explains the prohibition for state officials to make decisions that benefit and harm one of the election participants. Criminal sanctions contained in article 547 are in the form of threats of imprisonment of 3 years and a fine of Rp36 million.
Previously, the Nusantara Advocate Team officially reported Luhut and Sri Mulyani to Bawaslu on Thursday (Oct 18) afternoon. They both were reported for alleged violations of campaigns related to one-finger poses while attending the IMF agenda on October 14.
The complainant's attorney, M Taufiqurrohman, said the two state officials were alleged to have carried out acts that benefited one candidate for presidential and vice presidential candidates. The index finger poses was accused to represent support to presidential candidate pair number one, incumbent President Joko Widodo-KH Ma'ruf Amin.
"As state officials they perform actions allegedly to benefit and indicate their alignments towards the presidential-vice presidential pair Joko Widodo and KH Ma'ruf Amin in the IMF and World Bank annual meeting in Bali on October 14," Taufiq explained to reporters at the Bawaslu office, Thamrin, Central Jakarta, Thursday.
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani meets Bawaslu summon on one-finger poses case at Bawaslu office, Jakarta, Friday (Nov 2).
The report was filed because IMF Meeting was part of the official agenda of the state. The complainant found indications of covert campaigns in which Luhut and Sri Mulyani were seen directing the IMF Director Christine Lagarde and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, to pose one finger on a photo session.
"Sri Mulyani told Luhut to asked Lagarde to not use two fingers pose. Luhut then instructed Lagarde 'No no no, not two, not two'. Sri Mulyani then explained Lagarde that 'Two is Prabowo, and one is for Jokowi'," Taufiq said.
Therefore, he said, Sri and Luhut were allegedly using the situation to benefit and show allignment towards candidate number 01. "The actions of Luhut and Sri Mulyani legally deserve to be suspected of having violated the Election Law, as stipulated in Article 282 juncto Article 283 paragraph (1) and (2) juncto Article 547 Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections, with the threat of imprisonment 3 Year and fine of Rp. 36 million. In addition, both must be dismissed as ministers who are clearly and clearly not neutral in the activities of state meetings, "Taufiq said.
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