Her Husband Runs For Central Maluku Regional Election, Member Of The Indonesian KPU Epsilon Admits He Will Be Neutral

Member of the Indonesian General Elections Commission (KPU) Betty Epsilon Idroos. BETWEEN PHOTOS/Rivan Awal Lingga/aww/aa.

JAKARTA - RI KPU member Betty Epsilon Idroos stated that he adhered to the election organizer's code of ethics and the oath of the KPU member to remain neutral amid his candidacy for Zulkarnain Awat Amir's husband who ran in the 2024 Central Maluku Pilkada.

Betty explained that Articles 74 letters c and g of PKPU 12 of 2023 explained that KPU members should not abuse their authority which can influence the decision of the Election Organizing Institution and do not use the influence or authority of the position as an Election Organizer to gain personal benefits.

"Based on Article 76 letter b of PKPU 12 of 2023, KPU members are required to state openly in plenary meetings and be notified to the public through an official letter in the mass media, announcement boards, and the KPU website if they have a family or relatives relationship with potential election participants, election participants, and/or campaign teams," Betty said in his statement, Thursday, September 5, which was confiscated by Antara.

Furthermore, Article 15 letter c of DKPP Regulation Number 2 of 2017 stipulates that in implementing independent principles, election organizers state openly in meetings if they have family or relatives relationship with candidates, election participants, and campaign teams.

"Based on the above provisions, it is to maintain integrity, honor, independence, and credibility as election organizers, it has been conveyed openly that there is a marriage relationship with the prospective regent of Central Maluku in the 2024 Election in a plenary meeting led by the General Elections Commission and stated in the news of the plenary meeting," he said.

He explained that the plenary meeting stated that it was officially free from conflicts of interest from any party in the 2024 Pilkada and resigned as the coordinator of the Maluku Region through a Letter of Free Statement of Conflict of Interest as of May 28, 2024.

"The Conflict-of-Stake Free Statement letter as above 6 has also been announced openly through the KPU website," said Betty.

"In carrying out his duties as a member of the KPU, he actually adheres to the Code of Ethics of Election Organizers and the Oath of Promise of KPU Members," he concluded.

Previously, Tuesday (September 3), the Maluku Province Bawaslu supervised the prospective regional head-deputy regional head candidates who were related to the organizers of the 2024 Pilkada.

"Of course this is the focus of our supervision. I have also ordered the ranks to carry out close supervision for those who are related to the Pilkada organizers," said Head of Bawaslu Maluku Subair, in Ambon, Tuesday, September 3.

He said that one of the areas that was the focus of Bawaslu was in Central Maluku Regency. For the 2024 Simultaneous Pilkada, the candidate for regional head of Malteng Zulkarnain Awat Amir has a wife who is now a member of the Indonesian KPU, namely Betty Epsilon Idroos.

Subair said that in terms of norms, a candidate for regional head who has a family as an election organizer in either the KPU or Bawaslu, did not violate it.

However, Bawaslu has become one of the vulnerabilities factors in the Pilkada because of the potential for conflicts of interest there.

However, Bawaslu does not require prospective regional head candidates who have families as election organizers to openly convey this.