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House inquiry plan on shaky ground
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Poll workers prepare ballot papers during a revote at a polling station in Serang, Banten on Feb 21, 2024. The General Elections Commission (KPU) holds revote in four polling stations in the city after officials find underage voters, double voting and voters without proper documentation. (Antara/Asep Fathulrahman)
The absence of official instruction from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) leadership on whether and how to pursue a legislative inquiry into alleged irregularities in the February general election, coupled with hesitation among several sympathetic political parties to commit to a probe, threatens to kill the investigation before it is even launched.
Prior to the House of Representatives’ return from recess this week, calls had grown for a probe to be launched into last month’s election, which, despite being a largely peaceful affair, has been beset by accusations of electoral fraud and vote manipulation.
Some lawmakers reiterated the calls for a probe at a House plenary session on Tuesday, particularly those affiliated with parties who backed the rivals of presumptive presidential election winners Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka.
While most parties have chosen to wait until the official election results are announced later this month before deciding whether to support an inquiry, much of the concern centers on the role of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in an election he was barred from running in.
The President, who rose to power with the support of the PDI-P, has been accused of misusing his position and state resources to influence the election in favor of his son Gibran and his erstwhile electoral rival Prabowo.
Analysts, however, are unsure whether the five parties backing rival presidential candidates Ganjar Pranowo and Anies Baswedan will press on with an inquiry, as some of them appear to be aligning themselves with Prabowo as he assembles a legislative coalition.
Senior PDI-P politician Djarot Syaiful Hidayat acknowledged on Tuesday that there had been no official instruction from party chair Megawati Soekarnoputri to launch the motion, despite the fact that some party members, including Djarot, had voiced support for an inquiry.
