KPK Reports Study on Political Party System to Prabowo and Puan
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has submitted a report on the results of a study regarding improvements to the governance system of political parties (parpol) to President Prabowo Subianto and DPR Speaker Puan Maharani.
KPK spokesperson Budi Prasetyo stated that the study represents an important step towards creating an environment for General Elections (Pemilu) and Regional Head Elections (Pilkada) that is full of integrity.
“The KPK has reported and officially conveyed the results of the study along with recommendation points to the President and the DPR Speaker as a form of reporting to encourage the swift realisation of political system reforms,” Budi said in a written statement on Saturday (25/4).
Budi said that the KPK provided three main recommendations deemed important to be implemented immediately.
First, making regulatory changes to Law No. 7 of 2017 on Elections and Law No. 10 of 2016 on Regional Head Elections, particularly in aspects of recruiting election organisers, campaign methods, voting methods, vote counting and recapitulation, as well as strengthening sanction articles.
Second, making regulatory changes to Law No. 2 of 2008 on Political Parties as amended by Law No. 2 of 2011, by adding scope for standardising political education, cadre development, and political party financial reporting.
Third, the KPK urges the government together with the DPR to immediately conduct substantive discussions on the Draft Law on Limiting Cash Money as an important instrument in preventing money politics practices.
Specifically regarding the discussion of the Cash Limitation Bill, the KPK considers this urgent because the practice of money politics through physical cash transactions is still rampant.
This pattern becomes one of the entry points for repeated political corruption that is difficult to monitor.
“It is hoped that improvements to the political party governance system, especially in the cadre development system, recruitment, and political education, will not only strengthen democracy but also create transparent and accountable cadre development and candidacy processes,” Budi said.
10 Points of Urgency for Improvement
The KPK captured three points related to elections and politics in the study conducted by the Monitoring Directorate of the Prevention and Monitoring Deputy in 2025.
This includes identification of corruption potential in the conduct of elections; governance of integrity-based political parties; and limitation of cash transactions.
According to the KPK, these three aspects are considered to have a close interconnection in opening gaps for corrupt practices that impact the quality of democracy and government governance.
In compiling the study, the KPK collaborated with four groups of informants, namely representatives of parliamentary and non-parliamentary political parties; election and regional head election organisers; electoral experts or observers; and academics.
From the identification results, the KPK detailed at least 10 points indicating the urgency of improving the political party governance system.
One of the main findings from the internal party governance side. The KPK highlighted the absence of an integrated roadmap for political education between the government and political parties.
The weakness in integration between the recruitment process and the party cadre development system is also seen as one of the triggers for political dowry practices.
The KPK also identified the absence of a standardised political party financial reporting system, resulting in weak transparency and accountability in fund usage.
The same applies to the unavailability of a special supervisory body in the cadre development process, political education, and party financial management, which enlarges the risk of deviations.
“Not to mention the findings regarding the high winning costs that must be borne by election and regional head election participants,” Budi revealed.
These high political costs drive transactional practices in the candidate nomination process for legislative members or regional heads, including the emergence of political dowries and the potential for misuse of resources after candidates are elected.
Furthermore, the KPK also found indications of bribery to election organisers aimed at manipulating electoral results.
In addition, there are still gaps in the recruitment and selection process for election and regional head election organisers that are not optimal, thus potentially producing non-integrity-based organisers.
Law enforcement for election and regional head election violations is also deemed not to be running optimally.
The KPK also highlighted the dominant use of cash in election contests due to the absence of regulations limiting cash transactions.
This condition is seen to increase the opportunities for vote buying or money politics, which has long been a classic problem in electoral democracy.