REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA — Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu) DKI Jakarta said chairman of the GNPF Ulama Board of Trustees, Habib Rizieq Shihab’s statement live streamed from Mecca, Saudi Arabia, during 212 Alumni Reunion event on last Sunday (Dec 2) did not violate the campaign rules. He also asserted the institution did not find any alleged violation on 212 Alumni Reunion event on last Sunday (Dec 2).
“Is Habib Rizieq is a campaign participant? No, he is not,” said Bawaslu DKI Jakarta member Puadi on Monday (Dec 3).
Puadi said Bawaslu DKI will examine Rizieq’s speech only if the agency receives any report. However, so far no one filed a report about alleged violations of campaign regulation committed by the grand imam of Islamic Defenders Front (FPI).
“We examines the speech if there are reports and if no reports is filed then we will not process it,” Puadi explained.
Therefore, Puadi invited the people to file a report about alleged violation on 212 Alumni Reunion. He asserted the suspected case cannot be processed if people only share opinion outside the legal mechanism.
“Show the evidences, then we will process it,” Puadi added.
According to Puadi, Bawaslu will have seven days since the case reported, to seek clarification of alleged campaign violation. However, as long as there is no report, no process will be carried out by Bawaslu.
Earlier, Bawaslu member Rahmat Bagja said his party has coordinated with police to explore the element of alleged violation in Habib Rizieq's speech that was broadcasted through teleconference. He also asked Bawaslu DKI Jakarta to investigate the element of alleged violation in the speech.
According to Bagja, the speech must be explained, so there will be no differences of opinion with the police. Bawaslu DKI Jakarta investigation would focus on two things, namely to assessed whether Habib Rizieq’s speech was planned or not and whether Habib Rizieq listed as one of presidential candidate success teams or not.
Bagja said if Habib Rizieq joined a campaign team, then he was not allowed to give a speech at the 212 Alumni Reunion Rally. He stressed the speech is not allowed in the public meeting at this time.
“That’s why we examine, who knows if he (Habib Rizieq) joins a campaign team,” Bagja added.
Bagja said Habib Rizieq’s speech was a Bawaslu finding. Meanwhile, Bawaslu DKI Jakarta got seven days to examine the finding.
“We examine the alleged violation, seven days counted from the finding is discovered,” Bagja said.
In his speech, Habib Rizieq brought back the memory of the reunion participants about the cause of 212 rally. According to him, the 212 rally in 2016 was a battle of ideology, creed and propaganda.
Habib Rizieq praised the rally participants as fighters of the Holy Qur'an that had been defamed by then-governor of DKI Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama "Ahok".
Habib Rizieq also called on the reunion participants to contribute to the struggle for change. He appealed to the participants of the 212 reunion action to choose a leader recommended by the ulama in the Ijtima Ulema Forum.
"Choose the leader as recommended by the Ijtima Ulema result," said Habib Rizieq said.
Previously, ulemas in an Ijtima II meeting in Jakarta on last September 16 have expressed support for presidential contender Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Sandiaga Uno for the next year's election. The Ulemas Ijtima II lent its support after Prabowo who is a former commandant of the Army's elite strike force Kapassus, signed an integrity pact made by the Ulemas.