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Bawaslu file ethics complaint against KPU on ‘closed’ legislative candidates screening
Bawaslu wants to monitor the software the KPU used to review thousands of prospective legislative candidates but the elections commission says it can only provide full access if a complaint is made about a candidate.
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The headquarters of the Election Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) in Jakarta as shown in this undated photo. (Antara/Ali Khumaini)
The Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) filed an ethics violation complaint against the General Elections Commission (KPU) on Monday for limiting the agency’s access to supervise the ongoing administrative screening of prospective legislative candidates.
In recent months, Bawaslu has raised concerns over the lack of access given by the KPU for the agency to supervise the administrative verification of legislative candidates, done by the KPU since May when registration closed. The agency claimed the limited access hampered its ability to monitor election procedures.
The supervisory body claimed it was only given 15 minutes to access Silon, the software used by the KPU to review the eligibility of thousands of legislative candidates. Yet the election commission has long insisted that wider access to the software could only be given after there were reports of alleged violations committed by prospective candidates.
Bawaslu then filed a complaint of the alleged ethics breach by the KPU with the Election Organization Ethics Council (DKPP) on Monday, after requests for wider access to Silon, which were made within three letters sent to the commission, were rejected.
“The complaint is still being processed [by the DKPP],” said Bawaslu member Totok Hariyono, quoted by state news agency Antara.
Former Bawaslu member Wahidah Suaib, who is now an activist advocating for better electoral standards, has warned that the KPU’s lack of transparency could further erode public trust in the institution.
