Gorontalo (ANTARA News) - President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said he would take leave for the 2019 presidential election campaign if the existing rules did require it.

"Yes, these are the KPU (the General Election Commission)`s rules. If the rules require me to take total leave, I will take it," Jokowi said after a dialogue with corn farmers in Motilango Village, Gorontalo District, Friday.

According to him, the KPU`s rules did not require him to take total leave so that he could still work.

"The KPU does not require that and I can still work. It`s better, the rules allow it," he said.

He stressed that if the rules require that he must take time off, he would.

Previously, the National Winning Body (BPN) of the Prabowo-Sandi pair urged presidential candidate Joko Widodo to be transparent to the public regarding the time off he used while campaigning.

Deputy Director of the BPN Volunteer Ferry Juliantono said that transparency was needed, so there would be no misuse of state facilities.

"It is possible for him as president to use his authority to use state facilities, and this must be answered by Mr. Jokowi, when he will transparently use the leave," Ferry said at the Prabowo-Sandi media center, Jalan Sriwijaya, South Jakarta, Tuesday (2/26)

Ferry stressed that if Jokowi did not use his rights and was proven to be using state facilities for the campaign, Jokowi had violated Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning the elections.

"We from the BPN want to convey to Mr. Jokowi, so that he strictly uses his right to pay and does not use state facilities," he said.

The voting for the 2019 presidential election will take place on April 17, 2019. Two presidential-vice presidential candidates will present participants in the 2019 presidential election, namely pair number 01, Joko Widodo-Ma`ruf Amin, and pair number 02, Prabowo Subianto-Sandiaga Uno.

Reporting by Agus Salim, Eliswan Azly
Editing by Suharto

Reporter: Antara
Editor: Suharto
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