DKPP strongly warns KPU Chairman and dismisses KPU Commissioner

IO, Jakarta – After President Joko Widodo issued a Presidential De­cree for Dishonorable Discharge of Election Commission (Komisi Pemi­lihan Umum – “KPU”) Commission­er Wahyu Setiawan after named suspect in the bribery case relating to the Interim Replacement of for­mer Legislative Member Candidate from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (Partai Demokra­si Indonesia Perjuangan – “PDIP”), Harun Masiku, now the Electoral Organizer’s Council of Honor (De­wan Kehormatan Penyelenggara Pemilu – “DKPP”) has decided on the permanent dismissal of KPU Commissioner Evi Novida Ginting Manik for having intervened in the 2019 Elections’ vote count in West Kalimantan.

DKPP has found Evi to be guilty in the case being investigated in a complaint submitted by Hendri Makaluasc, a Legislative Candidate for the Regional House of Represen­tatives (Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat Daerah – “DPRD”) of the Province of West Kalimantan from the Great Indonesia Movement (Gerakan Indo­nesia Raya – “Gerindra”) Party. “We hereby sentence Respondent VII Evi Novida Ginting Manik as a Member of the Elections Commission of the Republic Indonesia to Permanent Dismissal from the date of this De­cree.”

Evi, and indirectly KPU, are deemed to be directly responsible by intervening in the decision made by the KPU of West Kalimantan in the 2019 Elections, i.e. by changing the vote count obtained in the West Kalimantan 6 Voting Region for Gerindra Party on behalf of Hendri Makaluasc, and by falsely reporting an increase of votes obtained by Cok Hendri Ramapon.

DKPP has also imposed sanctions on five other KPU RI Commission­ers other than other than Evi, i.e. strong final warning to Arief Budi­man (Chairman of KPU), Pramono Ubaid Tanthowi, Hasyim Asyari, Ilham Saputra, and Viryan Azis. Furthermore, members of KPU in the Province of West Kalimantan, i.e. Ramdan, Erwin Irawan, Mujito, and Zainab, were also issued warn­ings. DKPP further ordered KPU to implement the Decree within seven days after it is read out.

The Election Monitoring Agency (Badan Pengawas Pemilihan Umum – “Bawaslu”) is ordered to monitor KPU in its implementation of this judgment. DKPP even mentioned the President of RI in its Decree: “The President of the Republic of Indonesia shall implement this Decree towards Defendant VII (Evi Novida Ginting Manik) only, at the latest within 7 (seven) days from the time it is read out,” the Decree said.

Evi is a repeat offender who has been imposed with ethical sanc­tions relating to Elections. On 10 July 2018, DKPP declared Evi to be guilty of manipulation of the selec­tion of KPU Commissioner in East Kolaka, Southeast Sulawesi. KPU was requested to dismiss Evi from her positions as the Head of the HR, Organization, Education and Training, and R & D Divisi of KPU RI at the time. Evi’s position was then swapped with that of Commis­sioner Ilham Saputra. Evi was also involved in the case of suspected bribery of DPR RI Legislative Can­didate from PDIP, Harun Masiku. In an Ethical Hearing in DKPP, Wahyu Setiawan stated that he consulted both Evi and KPU Chairman Ari­ef Budiman on how to respond to Harun’s urgings. (Dan)