One of the many issues surrounding Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s bid for re-election in 2017 is his unwillingness to go on a legally mandated four-month leave of absence (from October 2016 to February 2017) during the official campaigning period for the election.
The mandated leave for incumbents, which is stipulated in the Regional Elections Law, is meant to prevent officials from using their position in office for the benefit of their re-election campaigns. However, Ahok is actively fighting that rule, taking the matter to the Constitutional Court and arguing that forcing him to take several months’ leave to campaign is against his constitutional rights.
“The requirement as stated by Article 70 verse (3) of the Regional Elections Law should be interpreted that campaign leave is something that’s optional. That way, the candidate can choose to take that leave or focus on managing Jakarta in accordance to the responsibilities of the candidate as stated in Article 18 Verse (4) of the UUD 1945 (constitution),” Ahok argued to the judges in the first hearing session yesterday, as quoted by Detik.
“I am ready to forego campaigning as long as there’s no leave.”
Ahok may not have get his way easily though, as the Constitutional Court judges said they fail to see how the leave of absence requirement infringes on Ahok’s constitutional right. They gave Ahok 14 days to reframe his argument.
But, to show that he’s adamant against campaign leave, Ahok said he’d have his new argument and file a new plea by tomorrow.
