Important Evaluation, But Changing KPU Status To An Ad Hoc Institution Needs To Be Rejected
Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Zulfikar Arse Sadikin, rejected the proposal to change the status of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the General Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu) to an ad hoc institution.
"The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia has mandated us that the general election is held by a general election commission that is national, permanent, and independent. It is contained in Article 22E Paragraph 5," said Zulfikar in Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, November 24.
The statement was in response to the KPU and Bawaslu's proposal to become an ad hoc body or no longer permanent. According to him, all changes related to the KPU and Bawaslu must be based on the 1945 Constitution (UUD) of the Republic of Indonesia and applicable laws and regulations.
Zulfikar stated that the evaluation of election organizers must continue, but that does not mean changing its status from an institution to an ad hoc institution.
Mainly (evaluation) in the recruitment and selection of election organizers at all levels in order to produce election organizers with integrity, capability, and professionalism, and cannot be intervened by any party. So that it can produce elections that are more qualified and more legitimate," he said.
Instead of changing the status of KPU and Bawaslu from an institution to an ad hoc institution, Zulfikar encouraged a thorough evaluation of the recruitment and selection of election organizers at all levels.
The KPU and Bawaslu proposals to become an ad hoc institution arise because of the implementation of legislative elections, presidential elections, and regional head elections (pilkada) which will be held simultaneously in 2024.
Thus, there will be no more democratic parties in the near future and in order to save the state budget.
Related to this, Zulfikar added that election organizers would actually strengthen their existence if the idea of separating elections into national elections and local elections could be realized in the revision of the Election Law.
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"The task of election organizers is not only when entering the stages of legislative, presidential, and regional elections. In the years of not holding elections, KPU and Bawaslu and DKPP, they can focus on increasing the capacity of the electoral structure and infrastructure through activities such as socialization, training, study, education, and literacy," said Zulfikar.