It Turns Out That There Are Ex-Corruptors And Active DPRD Members Of The 2024 DPD Candidates For DPD Members

Simulations of voting and vote counting in preparation for the 2024 General Election at the Bali KPU Office, Denpasar, Bali, Thursday 2 December 2021. (Between-Nyoman Hendra Wibowo)

JAKARTA - National Coordinator of the Voter Education Network for the People (JPRR) Nurlia Dian Paramita said that her party found a number of candidates for the 2024 General Election Regional Representative Council (DPD) violating registration provisions.

In 5 provinces, JPRR found that there were registrants who were former convicts of corruption cases, as well as members of the Provincial DPRD who were still serving and registered as candidates for DPD members in Riau, Bengkulu, NTB and North Maluku Provinces.

Then, there is also the BUMD director in one of the regencies in Riau Province who registers as a candidate for DPD members. Then, there are also members of the Level II DPRD, Chairman of Bapilu and deputy chairman of the party DPW in South Sulawesi Province who register as candidates for DPD members.

Now, the nomination stage for DPD members is in the verification process. Dian also asked the provincial-level General Election Commission (KPU) to carry out the process of verifying the requirements for prospective candidates.

"The JPPR would like to remind the organizers, especially the Provincial KPU, to professionally verify the requirements for DPD candidates in accordance with the provisions of Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning Elections, and PKPU Number 10 of 2022 concerning the Inauguration of Individual Participants of the DPD Member Election as amended to PKPU Number 13 of 2022, as well as the decision of the Constitutional Court Number 30/PUU-XVI/2018 which decides that DPD candidates are not administrators of political parties," said Dian in his statement, Thursday, January 12.

Dian explained, in a number of these rules, candidates for DPD members must meet a number of requirements. Among them is that he has never been sentenced to prison based on a court decision that has obtained permanent legal force for committing a crime that is threatened with imprisonment of 5 years or more, except openly and honestly conveying to the public that he is a former convict.

In addition, prospective DPD members must also resign from their positions if they serve as regional heads, deputy regional heads, village heads and village officials, village deliberative bodies, state civil servants, Indonesian National Army soldiers, members of the Indonesian National Police, directors, commissioners, supervisory boards and employees at state-owned enterprises and/or regional-owned enterprises and/or village-owned enterprises, or other bodies whose budgets come from state finances.

Then, must also resign as an administrator of a central-level political party to the lowest level in accordance with the organizational structure of a political party; and be willing not to practice as a public accountant, advocate, notary, land certificate maker official, and/or not to do job providing goods and services related to state finances and other work that can cause conflicts of interest with the duties, authorities, and rights as members of the DPD in accordance with statutory provisions.

Furthermore, there are no rules that prohibit DPRD members who are still actively registering as candidates for DPD members. Dian confirmed that not all DPRD members are political party administrators. However, there are concerns that the person concerned has a conflict of interest in his party.

"Members of the DPRD who nominate as candidates for DPD members have the potential to have a conflict of interest in the role and authority of the DPD if elected later because they are affiliated with political parties," he explained.

"Therefore, the JPPR asks the KPU and the Provincial KPU as well as their staff to verify the documents for the requirements for the nomination of DPD in accordance with the provisions of the legislation in a firm, accurate and accountable manner," he continued.

In addition, JPRR also asked the KPU to interpret the phrase other bodies whose budgets come from state finances and make policies to prevent members of the DPR, Provincial DPRD and Regency/City DPRD from registering as candidates for DPD members because they have the potential to bring conflict of interest.