Many Regional Heads Are Suspects Of Corruption, Political Parties And The Election System Need Improvements

JAKARTA - Recently, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has often arrested regional heads due to abusive practices. Starting from the Regent of Probolinggo Puput Tantriana Sari to the former mayor of Yogyakarta Haryadi Suyuti who became prisoners after they were suspected of accepting bribes.

Regarding this condition, researcher at the Political Research Center of the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) Aisah Putri Budiarti or Puput said that this should be a concern and a note. There are a number of improvements that must be made, especially ahead of the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada).

"The many track records of politicians involved in corruption deserve attention and note the need for improvement in many aspects, including political parties and the electoral system," said Puput when contacted by VOI, quoted on Wednesday, June 22.

Puput then said that improvements in political parties could be done in four ways. First, conduct track record-based recruitment.

"One of the elements is the extent to which party cadres and candidates in the election must be ensured that they are free from corruption. If we remember the last election, there was controversy when parties nominated former corruption convicts and things like this should not be done by parties," he said.

Second, regarding this recruitment, parties should be able to avoid the practice of political dynasties. Moreover, it can have an impact on corrupt acts.

There is also a way that can be done to avoid political dynasties is to conduct recruitment openly.

"Third, consistent anti-corruption political education must be carried out to all cadres," said Puput.

Finally, the party must also apply stricter rules to cadres caught in corruption.

Meanwhile, for the electoral system, the government is considered to have to think of a number of ways so that political costs can be reduced. The reason is that high-cost politics is indeed one of the reasons regional heads can fall into corrupt practices.

"There must also be steps that are improved more thoroughly for the electoral system, for example making low-cost elections so that people elected in elections do not try to make up for high election costs with corruption," said Puput.

"What needs to be done is to thoroughly evaluate the electoral system and open space for revision of the law. There are many technical matters that need to be revised, for example changing the size of the electoral district," he concluded.