Law Bans Bos And BUMN Employees From Being Involved In The 2024 Election Campaign

Illustration (Photo: Doc. VOI)

JAKARTA - Directors, commissioners, supervisors and employees of State-Owned Enterprises (BUMN) are prohibited from being involved in the 2024 simultaneous general election campaign (Pemilu).

This prohibition is contained in the Decree of the Minister of SOEs Erick Thohir with number S-560/S.MBU/10/2023 concerning the Involvement of the Board of Directors, Board of Commissioners/Supervisory Boards and Employees of the State-Owned Enterprises Group in the Implementation of General Elections, Regional Head Elections, and/or as Political Party Managers or Acting Regional Heads and Deputy Regional Heads. The letter was issued on October 27, 2023.

The letter also considers the Law on General Elections, the Regional Head Election Law, Law Number 19 of 2003 concerning State-Owned Enterprises, to the Regulation of the Minister of State-Owned Enterprises Number PER-3/MBU/03/2023 concerning State-Owned Enterprises' Organs and Human Resources.

In this letter, it is explained that to realize the general election of members of the House of Representatives, Regional Representative Council, President and Vice President, Regional House of Representatives (Pemilu) and the election of Governors and Deputy Governors, Regents and Deputy Regents, as well as Mayors and Deputy Mayors (Regional Head Elections) which are carried out based on direct, general, free, confidential, confidential, and fair principles, it is necessary to maintain neutrality.

It was also explained that state-owned enterprises, state-owned subsidiaries, and affiliated companies consolidated state-owned enterprises (BUMN Groups) as business entities must be free from practical political interests.

"Don't participate or get involved in election campaign activities and/or regional head elections as regulated in the Election Law and the Regional Head Election Law," the letter reads, quoted Friday, November 17.

Directors, commissioners to BUMN employees are also not allowed to use the resources of the BUMN Group, including assets, budget/cost, and human resources owned by the BUMN Group, for personal/group/classical interests, including for activities related to the General Election and Regional Head Election.

Still referring to the same source, directors, commissioners and employees of the BUMN Group who run for members of the DPR, DPRD, or DPD; president and vice president; governors, deputy governors, regents, deputy regents, mayors, or deputy mayors, must resign and/or be dismissed from office.

"The Board of Directors, the board of commissioners/supervisory boards, and employees of the BUMN Group are prohibited from being administrators of political parties," read point 2.

It was also stated that directors, board of commissioners/supervisory boards, and employees of the BUMN Group were prohibited from holding concurrent positions as Heads/Deputy Regional Heads or Acting Heads/Deputy Heads of Definitive Regions.

The board of directors, commissioners, and BUMN employees are also asked to avoid, stop, and/or replace activities that have the potential to be misused by individuals, groups, certain groups for practical political activities in the context of elections and regional head elections.

"Reporting indications of violations of the provisions of the Election Law and/or the Regional Head Election Law to the organizing agency and/or supervision of the General Election and Regional Head Election," reads the letter.

The Board of Directors, commissioners and employees must also ensure that the BUMN Group is free from practical politics and avoid misuse of positions other than for the benefit of the company and avoid potential conflicts of interest.