KPU Seals Plan to Ban Graft Convicts from Running in Election

Despite the ongoing controversy over the General Elections Commission’s (KPU) plan to prohibit former corruption convicts from running in legislative elections, the commission has been firm on issuing the regulation.

“We would rather face a lawsuit and lose in court than not issue the regulation at all,” said KPU commissioner Wahyu Setiawan as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday.

Several objections have come from the government, the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and the House of Representatives. The institutions accused the KPU of violating Law No. 7/2017 on general elections, Wahyu said.

The law states that former graft convicts who have served their sentence for more than five years can run in legislative elections as long as they publicly declare their status.

“They said the issue is not ours to handle but the court’s. But we really feel the need to regulate this because we see corruption as an extraordinary crime,” he added.

Wahyu mentioned Constitutional Court ruling No. 92/PUU-XIV/2016, which grants the KPU the authority to issue such a regulation since the KPU is an independent institution.

In a meeting that took place on Tuesday in the House of Representatives, lawmakers of House Commission II, Bawaslu and the Home Affairs Ministry rejected the KPU’s plan and insisted on sticking with the 2017 General Elections Law.

Courtesy : Thejakartapost
Photo :Harian Singgalang

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