"If an account is official it will be clear who can be held responsible," the KPU official said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Jakarta chapter of the General Election Commission (KPU) has reminded all candidates running for Jakarta governor and deputy governor to register their social media accounts with KPU Jakarta.

"All candidates as well as their supporting political parties are allowed to open special accounts or a joint account, but they must all be registered with KPU DKI Jakarta," the head of campaign work group of KPU DKI Jakarta, Dahlia Umar, said at the KPU DKI Jakarta office here Saturday.

KPU would not limit the number of accounts (which can be) on Facebook, twitter and others, but "what is important is that they must register them to ensure which ones are official and which ones are not," Dahlia said.

If accounts are not registered it would unclear which ones are official and the legal implications would be severe because slander or provocation carries legal consequences, Dahlia said.

"If an account is official it will be clear who can be held responsible," the KPU official said.

The accounts must be registered with the KPU a day before campaigning begins, and KPU will make them public, Dahlia said.

Three pairs of candidates have registered with the KPU to contest the election of Jakarta governor and deputy governor scheduled in February next year.

They include current governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama and deputy governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat, who were nominated by the Indonesia Democratic Party Struggle (PDIP), the National Democrat Party (Nasdem), the Golkar Party and the Hanura Party.

The other pairs of candidates are Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, the son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Jakartas deputy governor for tourism Sylviana Murni as his running mate, who were nominated by the Democrat Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the National Mandate Party (PAN), and former education minister Anis Baswedan and businessman Sandiaga Uno, who were nominated by Gerindra and PKS.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016