REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The General Election Commission (KPU) stated that it would not facilitate the implementation of the Quran reciting test organized by Aceh Da'i Association to the presidential and vice presidential candidates. The idea was deemed not required by the Election Law.

"In accordance with Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections, presidential candidates not required to take religion text reading test," said KPU Commissioner Wahyu Setiawan after receiving the representative of the Aceh Da'i Association, at KPU Building, in Jakarta, on Wednesday (Jan 16).

Wahyu said, even though it was not facilitated by KPU, it did not mean that the test initiated by the association were not good. KPU returned the decision to each candidate pairs.

"We return this to the presidential candidates, whether they want to follow this event or not," Wahyu said.

Chairman of Aceh Da'i Association Tgk Marsyuddin Ishak stated that he understood KPU's position which did not have a legal basis to facilitate the Quran reciting test. However, he hoped the input from KPU in holding activities that were not required by the election organizers.

Prior to this meeting, the Aceh Dai Association had met the campaign teams of both presidential and vice presidential candidates to invite the candidate pairs to take the Quran reciting test. According to the association, the reciting test was the aspiration of the Acehnese people supported by the Aceh Ulama Consultative Assembly.