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Gerindra refuse to nominate ex-convicts for 2020 elections

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IO, Jakarta – Early December, the General Elections Commission (KPU) issued Regulation (PKPU) Number 18 Year 2019 concerning the Second Amendment to Regulation Number 3 Year 2017 concerning the Nomination of the Election of the Governor and Deputy Governor, Regent, and Deputy Regent, and/or Mayor and Deputy Mayor. The PKPU does not exclude ex-corruption convicts from running in regional elections. This was officially stipulated on Monday (02/12/2019).

From several nomination requirements contained in the PKPU, none of the conditions governing the prohibition of convicted corruptors from running as candidates. The KPU previously planned to include the ban in this PKPU. Article 4 Paragraph (1) letter h, who is prohibited from running for a regional head specifies only former drug dealers convicted and those formerly convicted of sexual crime against a child. Even so, there are additional rules in PKPU No. 18 of 2019 which require political parties to prioritize regional head candidates who have not been convicted of corruption. The regulation is contained in two paragraphs, namely Article 3A paragraph (3) and paragraph (4).

Responding to this, Gerindra Party Deputy Chairman Sufmi Dasco Ahmad said, Gerindra was committed to refusal of nominating ex-convicts of corruption for the 2020 elections. Dasco said it has become an official party agreement and attitude. “We from the Gerindra Party have voiced it through Mr. Ahmad Muzani as secretary-general and party spokesperson, the official position of the party is that we will not nominate former convicts of corruption in the elections,” Dasco said at the Parliament building, Senayan, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/10/2019).

According to him, although there is no prohibition for former corruptors to run in the elections, the party has a responsibility to the people to nominate candidates with integrity. Therefore, Dasco said, Gerindra has issued instructions to the party’s regional offices (DPD-DPC) to conduct a rigorous selection of candidates who wish to run in the 2020 elections. “We have instructed all DPDs and DPCs to open the selection, but then the first initial selection is at the DPC level “A former corrupt prisoner cannot be nominated in the Gerindra Regional Election,” he explained.

In line with Dasco, Gerindra Party Secretary-General Ahmad Muzani explained that in the Gerindra Party, the authority to nominate regents, mayors and governors and their representatives lies with Party central leadership (DPP).  But now all of that is still being processed at the local, district, or provincial levels. They will conduct an assessment in January 2020. “Of course, although there is no prohibition, we will check the backgrounds of the candidates,” Muzani said at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Monday (9/12).

According to him, if the person concerned has been convicted, it can damage the party’s reputation. “So, this will affect the level of trust in the party to be able to win elections,” he explained. Therefore, said Muzani, Gerindra Party will take this issue seriously. Muzani also appealed to the Gerindra Party DPC and DPD not to submit the names of those who were convicted of corruption. “After all other names are still there, there are still many. If there aren’t, please write to us,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) ensured it would not nominate ex-convicts of corruption in the 2020 elections. According to PDIP Secretary General Hasto Kristiyanto, Megawati Sukarnoputri’s party chose to promote a sense of community justice. Hasto said that every citizen has political rights, including ex-convicts. Based on the principle of equality, political rights are not only in choosing but also in being elected. It’s just that PDIP prioritizes the principle of a sense of community justice. “So, for PDIP, for the sake of maintaining the principle of justice, we will not nominate those formerly convicted of corruption. That is the party ‘s policy,” Hasto said on the sidelines of his visit in Surabaya, Monday (12/09/2019).

Similar to PDIP, Chairperson of the national leadership of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Yandri Susanto said his party would avoid nominating a former corruption convict in the 2020 regional head election. “PAN already has its mechanism. “There are still choices, of course, we will avoid nominating former convicts,” Yandri said at the Parliament Complex, Jakarta, Monday (12/09/2019). He stressed that PAN gave cadres priority scales to be nominated as regional heads, even if he is not a party cadre but a person who can be accepted by the community and can develop the area they will lead. (Dan)

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