Formappi Values The Many PAW Members Of The DPR By Political Parties To Relegate Democracy

Formappi Researcher Lucius Karus (center) at the Formappi Office, Jakarta, Sunday (8/12/2024). BETWEEN/Good Ahmad Rizaldi

The Indonesian Parliamentary Concerned Community Forum (Formappi) assesses that the interim replacement (PAW) for members of the Indonesian House of Representatives who take part in the regional elections or who are appointed as state officials is something that degrades democracy.

Formappi researcher Lucius Karus said 45 members of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2024-2029 period who experienced PAW. They chose to step down to run in the 2024 Pilkada, and were appointed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto to join the government cabinet.

"How can the party then not consistently maintain the muruah that cadres who want to be encouraged as legislature are encouraged as executives, while those for the executive must be prepared themselves," said Lucius Karus at the Formappi Office, Jakarta, Antara, Sunday, December 8.

Lucius said that the 45 members of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2024-2029 period who experienced PAW consisted of 10 people from the Golkar faction, 9 people from the PDI-P faction, 9 people from the Gerindra faction, 6 people from the NasDem faction, 6 people from the PKB faction, 4 people from the Democratic Faction, and 1 person from the PKS faction.

Of these, he said, 27 members chose to resign because they wanted to run in the 2024 Pilkada, 8 people resigned because they were appointed by the President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto to become ministers, deputy ministers, or other officials, then 6 others who resigned for various reasons and three people died.

According to him, the existence of PAW before and after the inauguration of the elected candidate in the DPR RI Member Election as if showing a choice to become a legislator is not a top priority. The DPR is only considered a transit point to wait for other offers of office, especially in executive institutions.

From the PAW, according to him, the choice of the people from the election was neglected for the sake of party favorite cadres and relegated the meaning of people's votes through the electoral system directly.

"For Formappi, it degrades the meaning of the DPR which should be an institution that is equivalent to the executive," he said.

For this reason, he said that political parties must clearly prepare the direction of their cadres. Do not let the existence of dozens of PAWs actually make party members who change course not serious in carrying out their new duties.

In addition, he considered that the existence of PAW against members of the DPR RI by political parties seemed to be an election practice with a closed system. The reason is, he said that parties are free to determine or replace people who sit in parliament.

"The party can with its power determine who sits in parliament," he said.