REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDUNG -- Presidential candidate Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said the public were smart to judge black campaigns yet police must conduct investigation of black campaign cases so that it would not leave the impression of being tolerated.
"I think the matter (smear compaigns) should be left to the public. The people are already smart but of course there should be no omission. It must be investigated," Jokowi said in Garut District, West Java, on Thursday night.
As the campaign cooling off period is nearing, Jokowi began denying various slanderous rumors addressed to himself, such matters as the sensitive racial, religious inter-group issues (SARA).
"It all are slanders. I am not a citizen of Singapore and I have never had the intention to eliminate bonuses for teachers and the cheap rice for the poor program," he said referring a slander that he was a Chinese descent of Singapore and had the intention of abolishing the rice for poor (Raskin) program and bonuses for teachers.
He also denied being linked to communism, saying that it was a vicious rumor against him.
"There are a lot of black campaigns against me. I have tried to remain calm, but the rumors keep spreading. This is getting too much. Being linked to communism is insulting," Jokowi stated during a press conference after campaigning in Bandung city.
In Indonesia, people are still strongly against the idea of communism. It is believed that in 1965, the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) had abducted and tortured people. Since then, the party has been banned in Indonesia.
He called on his volunteers and sympathizers to deny the issues by explaining to the public through a peaceful and elegant means.
"Badness should not be fought against with badness but with goodness," he stressed.
Indonesia will conduct a democratic presidential election on July 9, 2014, which will be contested by two pairs of presidential and vice presidential candidates: Prabowo Subianto-Hatta Rajasa and Jokowi-Jusuf Kalla (JK).
Prabowo Subianto is a retired military general and the chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), while his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, is a former coordinating minister for economic affairs and the chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN).
Jokowi is Jakarta's governor and a cadre of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), while his running mate, JK, is a former vice president and a senior politician of the Golkar Party.
The Prabowo-Hatta pair is supported by Gerindra, PAN, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), the United Development Party (PPP), the Crescent and Star Party (PBB), the Golkar Party, and the Democrat Party.
The Jokowi-JK pair is supported by five political parties: PDIP, the Nation Awakening Party (PKB), the People's Conscience Party (Hanura), the Justice and Indonesian Unity Party (PKPI), and the National Democrat Party (Nasdem).
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