Surya Palha Urges Fair Play as Foundation of Election Bill

NasDem Party Chairman Surya Palha has asserted that the drafting of the Election Bill must place the value of sportsmanship as its primary foundation. According to him, the success of an electoral regulation should not be measured solely by the fulfilment of legal formalities, but by the upholding of justice for all parties. He stressed that a crucial point in political competition is the compliance of all elements with fair rules of the game, encompassing the integrity of both the contestants and the electoral management bodies. “This is where I always remind everyone of something we must not take for granted, namely the sportsmanship of election participants and organisers,” Surya said after attending the closing of the NasDem Party Youth Guard Congress and 15th Anniversary in North Jakarta, Wednesday. He further cautioned that no matter how well-crafted the legal norms are by the legislature, their effectiveness will vanish if implementation in the field fails to uphold honesty. Surya stated that the NasDem Party is ready to face any form of competition, provided the values of sportsmanship are respected. Regarding the technicalities and stages of the Election Bill discussion, he deferred entirely to the ongoing mechanism in the House of Representatives’ Commission II. The discussion is expected to comprehensively capture the need for structuring the system and scheme for future elections.