PDIP Instructs Cadres To Join PKH Coordinator Selection, Observer: Unethical

Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Batubara and holder of the Family Hope Program (PKH) card (Photo: Ministry of Social Affairs website)

JAKARTA - The PDI Perjuangan Central Executive Board (DPP) has instructed their cadres to register as coordinators of the Ministry of Social Affairs' Family Hope Program (PKH) at the district / city level. Responding to this, a political observer from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) Aisah Putri Budiarti said that the instruction was unethical and inappropriate if it was carried out by parties supporting the government.

"In terms of ethics, this is definitely unethical. Not only that, in terms of the formal rules regarding the PKH HR code of ethics owned by the Ministry of Social Affairs, the Ministry of Social Affairs has also prohibited PKH coordinators from party backgrounds," Putri told reporters, Tuesday, August 4.

He considered that government assistance programs such as PKH should not be coordinated by those who have a background in political parties, organizations, or certain interest groups, including the PDIP. The aim is to prevent conflicts of interest especially ahead of the 2020 Pilkada in December.

"This conflict of interest has a high potential to occur because currently it has entered the pilkada stage which is very risky to allow the use of government-funded social assistance for the sake of winning the election," he said.

As a supporting party for the government, continued Putri, PDIP should contribute to providing political education for the community by showing that government programs are run for the benefit of the whole community. One way is to avoid the possibility of a conflict of interest and not directly participate in programs related to social assistance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic or in the midst of the 2020 Pilkada stages.

"Thus, ideally political parties do not issue written rules that encourage their cadres to be actively involved like this, for ethical and regulatory reasons," he said.

It is known, through the instructions contained in the letter with No. 1684 / IN / DPP / VII / 2020 dated July 15, which was signed by the Chairperson of the PDIP DPP for Industry, Labor and Social Security Nusyirwan Soejono and PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, the party made by Megawati Soekarnoputri ordered a number of cadres to register as PKH coordinators at the district / city.

Regarding the instruction, PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto then spoke up. He said that the instruction was part of the main function and democratic tradition in carrying out tiered leadership regeneration.

"So when a party instructs its cadres to participate in a contest in the village supervisor, or in the Family of Hope Program (PKH), is active in defending the state and actively involves in formal social management, this is part of the party's main function and part of the democratic tradition that is carried out. parties, "said Hasto in his written statement, Tuesday, August 4.

He emphasized that through the letter of instruction, PDIP will ensure that they will actively participate in the recruitment process for public positions and ensure that they will follow the selection mechanism in force.

"With an instruction letter for the Party to actively participate in the recruitment process for public office, the Party will be open and do everything on the basis of strong legality, adhere to mechanisms, and we respect the decision-making authority to remain sovereign," he said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos) Juliari Batubara denied that there had been any communication between him and PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto. According to him, anyone can register as PKH coordinator at the regency / city level but it does not necessarily pass the selection.

"There is no communication with the secretary general (Hasto Kristiyanto, red). The point is that anyone can register, but they do not necessarily pass the selection because there are already rules or requirements," said Juliari when contacted by VOI .

He emphasized that any party, not only PDIP Perjuangan, can register as the district / city level PKH coordinator. "But later to pass the selection, the Ministry of Social Affairs will refer to the applicable provisions," he said.

Furthermore, Juliari, who is a PDIP cadre, denied that there was a conflict of interest with the emergence of the instruction letter signed by Hasto. According to him, there is no conflict of interest because all parties who register will be selected without exception.

Moreover, he said, no party cadres or members may be allowed to sit in that position. "It is very inappropriate (if there is an opinion that there is a conflict of interest, red). If we accept active political party members to become PKH coordinators, that's not true. It's not," he said.