KPK Proposes Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates Must Be Party Cadres, PKB: Interesting

Secretary General of the National Awakening Party (PKB) Hasanuddin Wahid stated that the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) proposal for presidential and vice-presidential candidates to be party cadres is interesting. He said the recommendation could encourage parties to strengthen their cadre systems and political education. “Regarding presidential and vice-presidential candidates having to be party cadres, that is an interesting idea and will strengthen the position of parties,” Hasanuddin said in his statement on Thursday, 23 April 2026. According to him, parties would be motivated to produce leaders capable of filling public positions, both in the executive and legislative branches at local and national levels, if there is a cadre requirement for candidates. “This will also strengthen the institutionalisation of democracy and political parties in the country,” he added. Previously, a study by the KPK’s Monitoring Directorate identified at least four issues in political party governance. The four points are the absence of a roadmap for political education implementation, integrated cadre system standards, financial reporting systems, and oversight bodies. The anti-corruption agency has formulated several recommendations for improving political party governance. One of them is through revisions to Law Number 2 of 2011 on Political Parties, particularly Article 29 on political recruitment. In the recommendations, the KPK views that regulations on recruiting prospective presidential/vice-presidential/regional head/deputy regional head candidates should add a clause requiring them to come from the party cadre system, in addition to “conducted democratically and openly.” Not only that, the agency proposes adding a minimum time requirement for joining the party to be nominated by the party. “To ensure the implementation of cadre systems, regulations are needed to limit the leadership of the party general chairman to a maximum of two terms,” as quoted from the Appendix to the KPK’s 2025 Annual Report on Monday, 20 April 2026. The KPK also recommends that the Ministry of Home Affairs develop standardisation and an integrated cadre reporting system for political parties with party assistance funds (banpol). Political parties are also urged to implement the Constitutional Court’s Decision Number 60/PUU-XXII/2024 on the minimum threshold for regional head elections through candidate recruitment based on cadre systems.