DKPP Stops Arief Budiman, This Is KPU Response

KPU Building (Irfan Meidianto / VOI)

JAKARTA - The General Election Commission (KPU) of the Republic of Indonesia responded to the decision of the Honorary Council of Election Administrators (DKPP) which dismissed Arief Budiman from the position of Chairman of the KPU.

KPU commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik said that his party was still waiting for a copy of the decision to be studied. After receiving a copy, the KPU will hold a plenary meeting by all the commissioners.

"We are still waiting for a copy of the decision and will hold a plenary meeting, which will then be scheduled to make a decision on whether or not the DKPP decision will be implemented," Evi told reporters, Wednesday, January 13.

For information, DKPP dismissed Arief Budiman from the position of Chairman of the Indonesian KPU because of the case of dismissing Evi Novida Ginting Manik from his position as a KPU member.

Arief was deemed to have violated the code of ethics because he attended and accompanied Evi in filing a lawsuit for dismissal of his position which was decided by DKPP at the Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) some time ago.

In addition, Arief allegedly exceeded his authority, namely issuing RI KPU letter Number 665 / SDM.13.SD / 05 / KPU / VIII / 2020 dated 18 August 2020.

In the previous trial, Arief as a defendant in the DKPP trial explained that his presence at the PTUN on April 17, 2020 was not intended to accompany Evi in registering the lawsuit with the Jakarta PTUN.

Arief's presence, he admitted, merely provided moral support, sympathy, and empathy based on a sense of humanity as an individual due to his long friendship with Evi.

Arief admitted that his presence at the PTUN was not in his capacity as the head of the KPU who represented the institution, because on the same day he was running WFH.

In the DKPP decision hearing, DKPP member Didik Supriyanto said that his party understood the strong emotional bond between Arief and Evi, which was built on similar professions and started a career from below as a member of the KPU.

"However, emotional ties should not close or kill the sense of ethics in carrying out individual personal activities because the defendant (Arief) is attached to the position of chairman of the KPU who is concurrently a KPU member who has no emotional ties with anyone except the legal provisions and ethics of the position as organizer. elections, "said Didik.

In his position, according to Didik, Arief should not have been trapped in emotional acts in placing himself in the public sphere. This, he said, had the implication of being insubordinate and disrespecting the DKPP decision which dismissed Evi from his position.

"The presence of the defendant at every opportunity in the public space to accompany sister Evi in her efforts to fight for her rights causes the KPU to appear as an institution as the main supporter in fighting against the DKPP decision," he explained.

For information, Evi Novida Ginting Manik was stopped by DKPP for violating the election organizer's code of ethics. The ratification of Evi's termination is stated in President Jokowi's Decree Number 34 / P of 2020.

Evi then sued Jokowi's SK to the Jakarta State Administrative Court. As a result, PTUN granted the lawsuit and Evi returned to being a member of the Indonesian KPU for the 2017-2022 period.

During the trial registration, Arief was present to accompany Evi as an individual who provided moral support. However, Arief's presence was sued at DKPP by an entrepreneur named Jupri for violating the code of ethics as an election organizer.