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Police question KPU commissioners after Oesman files report
Oesman filed a report after being banned from the candidate list.
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General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Arief Budiman (middle) insists on Wednesday that the KPU would not allow Hanura Party chairman Oesman Sapta Odang to run for a seat on the Regional Representatives Council if he does not resign from his position at Hanura. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he Jakarta Police questioned General Elections Commission (KPU) chairman Arief Budiman and commissioner Pramono Ubaid on Tuesday over a report filed by Hanura Party chairman and Regional Representatives Council (DPD) Speaker Oesman Sapta Odang.
Oesman, a close aide of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, filed the report after the KPU refused to uphold the ruling of the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) and Jakarta State Administrative Court (PTUN) to put his name on the DPD’s candidate list.
“The police asked 20 questions regarding the reasons why the KPU decided not to put Oesman on the candidate list,” Pramono told reporters after the questioning.
The tension between Oesman and the KPU began last September when it removed his name from the provisional legislative candidacy list because he insisted on maintaining the leadership of his party.
The KPU previously issued a regulation (PKPU) stipulating that political party officials must resign from their respective parties to run in the DPD election, which is in line with a Constitutional Court ruling issued in July to ban party officials from running as candidates.
Oesman, then, filed a petition to challenge the PKPU in the Supreme Court and PTUN. Both ruled in his favor and annulled the KPU’s decision, which stated that Oesman was not eligible to be a DPD candidate.
Bawaslu said the KPU had committed an administrative violation and ordered it to approve Oesman's candidacy.
It has ordered the KPU to revoke its decree on the final DPD candidate list for the election in April and issue a new one that includes Oesman’s name.
Yet, the KPU insisted on following the Constitutional Court ruling, pushing Oesman to tender his resignation as party leader to maintain his candidacy. On Jan. 22, the KPU officially crossed him off the candidate list.
Jakarta Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Argo Yuwono said the police were still seeking clarification.
Separately, watchdog Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) called on law enforcement official to refrain from criminalizing the election body.
“[Criminalization of the KPU] will affect the legitimacy of the election process. The KPU was just trying to follow the constitution and the committee, indeed, should not give in to the demands of certain election participants,” ICW researcher Donal Fariz said. (swd)
