1Berita – The Law No. 7 of 2017 on Elections prohibits campaign teams from involving Indonesian citizens (WNI) who do not have voting rights in campaign activities.
The qualification of Indonesian citizens with voting rights is regulated in Article 1 number 34 of the Election Law, which stipulates that they must be at least 17 years old, married, or have been married.
In this category, children under the age of 17 are not allowed to participate in political campaign activities because they do not meet the requirements.
The wording of Article 280 paragraph (2) letter k states that children under 17 years old are prohibited from participating in the campaign.
“The organizers and/or campaign teams in Election Campaign activities are prohibited from involving: Indonesian citizens who do not have the right to vote.”
Violation of this provision may result in the organizers and/or campaign teams of election candidates being sentenced to one year in prison and a fine of IDR 12 million. This is stipulated in Article 493 of the Election Law, which reads as follows.
“Every organizer and/or Election Campaign team that violates the prohibition as referred to in Article 280 paragraph (2) is punished by imprisonment for a maximum of 1 (one) year and a fine of up to IDR 12,000,000.00 (twelve million rupiahs).”
Not only the Election Law regulates the prohibition of involving children in political activities. Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection also regulates that children must not be exploited in political activities.
This is stipulated in Article 15 letter a of the Child Protection Law, which reads as follows.
“Every Child has the right to protection from: a. exploitation in political activities.”
Child protection under Article 15 of the Child Protection Law includes both direct and indirect activities, protecting children from actions that endanger them physically and psychologically.
Violation of this provision may result in candidates facing a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine of up to IDR 100 million.
This penalty is clearly regulated in Article 87 of Law Number 23 of 2002 concerning Child Protection, which reads as follows.
“Anyone who unlawfully recruits or exploits a child for military purposes as referred to in Article 63 or exploitation in political activities or involvement in armed conflict or involvement in social riots or involvement in events involving violence or involvement in war as referred to in Article 15 is punished by imprisonment for a maximum of 5 (five) years and/or a fine of up to IDR 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiahs).”
