Disqualification of cheating aspirants sought
Disqualification of cheating aspirants sought
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Prodemocracy activists are calling for disqualification of
Regional Representatives Council (DPD) aspirants who submitted
fake documents of support to the General Elections Commission
(KPU), saying they had lost the moral right to sit in the House
of Representatives (DPR).
They also urged the KPU to announce the names of DPD
candidates who had tried to pass the DPD screening by submitting
false identity (ID) cards or copies of ID cards without the
consent of their owners.
"We must set a high standard of morality for our leaders,
otherwise we should not choose them," Teten Masduki of the
Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) said on Tuesday.
"The candidates must be publicly announced in the mass media
so that the public will take note that they are not worthy of
election," said Smita Notosusanto, executive director of the
Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro).
Teten and Smita were commenting on the KPU's announcement last
week that many DPD candidates across the country had submitted
fake ID cards.
"Many of those candidates have fictitious documents or copies
of ID cards without the consent of their owners," KPU member
Mulyana W. Kusumah said last Friday.
According to KPU data released on Friday, all 73 DPD
candidates registered in Jakarta had to rectify their documents,
as well as 59 candidates in West Java, 61 in Banten, 41 in West
Java, 27 in Central Sulawesi and 15 in Papua.
In the troubled province of Aceh, 11 of 27 DPD candidates must
also rectify and resubmit their documents, as well as 35 of 69
candidates in Central Java and 27 of 34 in East Java.
Under the newly amended Constitution, the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), the highest legislative body,
comprises the DPD and the House of Representatives (DPR). At
least four DPD members will be elected from each of the country's
30 provinces.
In order to run in the election, an aspirant has to submit
documents of support from local people, including thousands of
copied ID cards, depending on the number of people the candidate
wishes to represent.
According to Smita, announcing the names of those cheating
aspirants was part of voter education, signaling that people
should be very careful in choosing their representatives.
Under existing legislation those found to have submitted fake
documents are still given a chance to improve and complete the
necessary documents.
However, according to Teten, deceitful aspirants ought to be
disqualified immediately from the DPD election before they became
leaders of the country.
He said the aspirants' misconduct would become a bad precedent
for their future leadership, as they might cheat the public at
any time.
Mulyana said on Friday that although the candidates were
allowed by the KPU to resubmit their documents, the Elections
Supervisory Committee (Panwaslu) could investigate the
candidates' action to determine whether or not they had committed
crimes.
Panwaslu filed earlier at least eight police reports in
several provinces over violations involving DPD candidates, who
had allegedly committed wrongdoing in their efforts to woo
popular support.
Panwaslu member Didi Supriyanto alleged late in October that
some DPD candidates in Central Sulawesi and North Sulawesi had
copied people's ID cards without their knowledge, in order to
qualify for the legislative election.
The selection of aspirant regional representatives should be
completed by the end of this month.
On Dec. 9, KPU will announce which aspirants are eligible to
contest next year's election.
Indonesia will hold a legislative election on April 5 and two-
stage presidential elections on July 5 and Sept. 20 respectively.