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Second Prima Party legal win exposes KPU’s shortcomings
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General Elections Commission (KPU) chair Hasyim Asy'ari (right) talks with commissioner August Mellaz during a group discussion in Jakarta on March 9 about a controversial order from the Central Jakarta District Court to postpone next year’s elections by 28 months. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak)
A second legal victory for the Prima Party, which says it has been unfairly denied the opportunity to field candidates for the 2024 general election, has highlighted the shortcomings of the General Elections Commission (KPU) in carrying out administrative procedures and defending its policies, politicians and activists have said.
The Election Oversight Agency (Bawaslu) ruled on Monday that the KPU had committed an “administrative violation” in denying the Prima Party’s electoral application and that the party would be allowed to resubmit its application to the poll body within 10 days.
Bawaslu’s decision came after the Central Jakarta District Court sided with the Prima Party in a lawsuit claiming that the KPU had improperly denied it the chance to take part in the 2024 general election. The court ordered the KPU to restart all election processes from scratch, and it set a specific timeframe that effectively pushed the election back from Feb. 14, 2024, to 2025 at the earliest.
“The Prima Party’s streak of victories should serve as a reminder for the KPU to undertake a thorough evaluation of its performance, especially in handling administrative matters, so that upcoming elections will be organized in a more orderly, transparent and accountable manner,” Titi Anggraini of election watchdog the Association for Elections and Democracy (Perludem) told The Jakarta Post on Thursday
“The KPU should do better because public trust in the institution has been an important element in maintaining public faith in the election process and results. This could ultimately affect the legitimacy of the 2024 election,” Titi said.
“It is also important for the KPU to have a solid legal team capable of anticipating any potential problems and lawsuits that may occur during the elections process. If not, the KPU will very easily fail in facing legal disputes with political parties,” Titi added.
Politicians across the spectrum have expressed disappointment with the way the poll body handled the Prima Party lawsuit, accusing it of not taking the matter seriously after a published court document revealed that the KPU did not appoint a lawyer to represent it in the trial.
