The Election Draft Law Prohibits Ex HTI From Participating, Udana Academics Speaks Up

ILLUSTRA TION / VOI

JAKARTA - The Draft Law (RUU) on General Elections (Pemilu) includes a clause which is finally discussed. This clause prohibits former members of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) from participating in democratic parties or elections, whether the Regional (Pilkada), Legislative (Pileg), or the presidential election.

Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Nusa Cendana (Undana) Kupang, Dr. Johannes Tuba Helan said that the ban in the Election Bill was excessive.

"In my opinion, from the point of view of our constitutional and democratic state, the prohibition against former HTI members running for election is excessive because this is like punishing them repeatedly," Johannes said, Wednesday, January 27, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, January 27.

He said that those who used to be members of HTI might think the organization was not dangerous. The reason was that the organization originally had an establishment permit. Therefore there is a thought that when HTI was dissolved, its former members did not need to be banned when they wanted to participate in the political contestation.

"So, don't treat them like they are being punished over and over again because in the end it is the people themselves who choose them or not," said the Undana academic.

Moreover, former HTI members also did not immediately qualify when running for office. There is still a selection that must be undertaken if they want to take part in the democration party.

"If it is found that there is still opposing ideology, their candidacy can be dropped," said Johannes.