Women's PMII Alumni Association Says Ombudsman Replacement Must Respect Merit System

The Women’s Alumni Association of the Indonesian Islamic Student Movement (IKA Perempuan PMII) has stated that the interim replacement process for members of the Indonesian Ombudsman must respect the merit system, legal certainty, and women’s constitutional rights. Chairperson of the IKA Perempuan PMII Central Board, Luluk Nur Hamidah, expressed concern over the failure to explicitly include the name of Wahidah Suaib as the candidate ranked tenth based on the House of Representatives’ fit and proper test. According to her, based on that ranking, Wahidah is entitled to fill the vacant Ombudsman member position. “For us, this issue is not merely about one name. What is at stake is the state’s consistency in respecting the legal mechanisms that have been established, upholding the merit system,” Luluk said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday. She stated that if Wahidah Suaib is the tenth-ranked candidate from the DPR’s fit and proper test, then that right should be respected and protected. She urged the DPR to appoint Wahidah Suaib as the interim replacement Ombudsman member in accordance with the established ranking order. Rights arising from a valid selection process must be honoured as part of the principles of legal certainty and the merit system. “The interim replacement is not a new selection process, but rather a continuation of a completed selection result. Therefore, rights that have arisen from the ranking order cannot be disregarded without a firm legal basis,” she said. “Transparency is a primary prerequisite for the accountability and legitimacy of every state institution’s decision.” According to her, this polemic serves as a reminder that the struggle for women in the public sphere does not end with opening access and affirmative policies. What is far more important, she said, is ensuring that every right women have obtained through a lawful process is truly respected and protected. “A healthy democracy not only provides women with the opportunity to compete but also guarantees that the results of a fairly conducted competition are consistently respected,” she said.