Key Points of KPK's Recommendations on Political Parties
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), through its Monitoring Directorate, has released a report containing 20 strategic studies, policy briefs, and corruption risk assessments for various government institutions and strategic programmes.
In the report, the KPK recommends improvements to political party governance, which is assessed as still facing several problems.
“From these studies, the KPK has identified various systemic vulnerabilities that could open up opportunities for corruption,” as quoted from the report summary released last Friday (17/4).
Specifically regarding political parties, the KPK has identified four main problems in their management. First, parties do not yet have a roadmap for political education.
Second, parties do not have integrated cadre training standards; third, parties do not have a financial reporting system; and fourth, the Political Parties Law does not clearly regulate oversight mechanisms.
The KPK has recommended a total of 16 points for improvement on these four problems. Among these, the KPK highlights issues such as the term of office of the general chairman, nomination of legislative and executive members, and financial reports.
In its recommendations, the KPK, for example, urges the government and the DPR to clarify or supplement the wording of Article 34 of the Political Parties Law by adding a clause on the obligation to report political education activities, including activities, participants, objectives, and outputs for those funded by government financial assistance.
The KPK also proposes revising Article 29 of the Political Parties Law so that party membership or cadres have levels or tiers starting from young, intermediate, and advanced.
These levels will then determine the requirements for their nomination in legislative elections. For instance, young cadres can only run at the regency/city DPRD level, intermediate at the provincial DPRD level, and advanced at the national DPR RI level.
The KPK also suggests that nominations for president, vice president, or regional heads must follow the cadre training system or tiers. In addition, the KPK requests a minimum requirement of two years before a cadre can be nominated in elections.
“Requirements for prospective candidates for president/vice president/regional head/deputy regional head, in addition to being democratic and open, add a clause originating from the party’s cadre training system; Add a minimum time limit requirement for joining the party to be nominated by the party,” states the fifth recommendation referring to the report.
Therefore, the KPK asks the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri) to develop standardisation of integrated political party cadre reporting with banpol.
The eighth point of the recommendations suggests limiting the term of office of the party general chairman to a maximum of two periods. According to the KPK, this is important to ensure that the cadre training system continues to function.
“To ensure the cadre training runs, regulation of the leadership limit for the party general chairman to a maximum of 2 periods of tenure is needed.”
Meanwhile, regarding party finances, the KPK proposes eliminating donations from business entities or companies. Such donations must be recorded as individual donations.
“Eliminate the source of donations from business entities/companies. Donations originating from business entities/companies are recorded as donations from individuals,” stated the KPK.