by Parliamentary Center | Oct 13, 2014 | National, Election
Efforts to strengthen the openness in the General Elections Commission (KPU) still continue to be encouraged. After 2014 election and before the implementation of districts election in 2015 become the right momentum to set up the infrastructure on this subject. There are four main agenda to encourage the openness in the Commission including the ratification of the General Elections Commission Regulation (PKPU) on the Information Services around the Commission, and making of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of Information Service, the establishment of Information and Documentation Officer (PPID), and socialization the PKPU and SOP.
The commission targeting the legislation of this regulation will finish within a month. “The draft of PKPU and its SOP already finished to be discussed internally, the target could be approved this October, but it still more improvement in some substance,” said Ferry Kurnia Rizkiansyah, the Member of Commission, when receiving audience from Indonesian Parliamentary Center (IPC) at the office of the Commission (October 13rd, 2014).
Further, ferry revealed that the delay in the ratification of this regulation is influenced by the ratification of districts elections draft law and the issuance of Government Regulation In Lieu of Law No. 1 of 2014 on the district elections. “There is no direct relation because it is the obligation of Freedom of Information Law, but we need to see districts elections draft law because there are some substances that need to be adjusted, for example regarding the classification of the information,” he said.
Learning outcomes from the 2014 elections, both in legislative election or Presidential election indicated that the openness becomes an important aspect. The openness successfully to become one of the main pillar to maintain the integrity of process and outcome of the election. This success needs to be replicated in the implementation of 2015 election in the future. This kind of thing is more important to continue to be discussed for the next election implementation than changing the election mechanism from direct into through the parliament. (ek)
by Parliamentary Center | Sep 13, 2014 | News, National, Election
Jakarta, – Election of regional becomes hot issue in the mass media such as Twitter and Facebook. House representative members are being rolled out draft law to restore direct elections through the regional representative council (DPRD) resulting pros and cons.
Researcher from Indonesia Parliamentary Center (IPC) Erik Kurniawan argues, in the context of Indonesia is more appropriate to use direct election system. “The first election has been practiced in Indonesia since 2005. It should be maintained as a form of keeping the sovereignty of the people,” he told to kebebasaninformasi, Thursday (September 11st, 2014).
Then, he said, in the Constitution’s Article No. 18, regional heads must be selected democratically, but historically amendment of the Constitution in article 18 was done before article 6a on Presidential Election. “Well, what is desired in the regional heads election is same with presidential election, in terms of the direct choice,” he said.
He added, we are agree that the election through council is also democratic, but when compared with the direct elections, is clearly more democratic because the good fortune of people is preferred than the voice of their representatives in Parliament.
When asked about the output leader from direct election and through council, Erik answered with an example. “Products of direct election like Jokowi, it’s become a sort of national leadership level, tested first, does he desire to lead by the people or not? Well, after he succeeded, he rose to the national level,” he explained.
Erik added, in the 2019 elections, if the direct election can be maintained, the production of the local leadership will be more dynamic than election through council.
Because, said Erik, election through council was clearly closing the spaces for candidates who have capacity, integrity, but had no strong political power and did not have much money. “But unlike the direct election, he had a chance to compete. Well, if it was removed, in 2019 the leadership baton going to drop out,” he explained.
He strengthens his statement with an example. He said, the mayor of Surabaya, the Governor of Central Java, Banyuwangi Regent, Bontaeng Regent and several other regional head in 2019 has the potential to fill the national leadership. “Imagine if in the future, direct election was removed, they will run out.”
Contrast to the results of council elections, according to Erik, our experience before 1999, had no alternative figure, “always the same person, again and again,” he said.
He said the election through council would close the space of transparency. “Well, through direct election if the political money happened, a lot of tools and regulations to open space of transparency, campaign finance report should available, audit, money politics is very easily identified,” he explained.
Contrast to election through the Council, 50 members to the district/city, or 100 people to the province, space of transparency enclosed at all. (AA)
by Parliamentary Center | Jul 18, 2014 | News, National, Election
Jakarta, – The hard work of National Election Commission to doing the openness by uploading the C1 form should be appreciated. Publishing the C1 form is transparency steps of election results that worthy of support, because the election fraud results, including presidential elections, always begins from C1 form that is difficult to access for the public.
However, according to the Commissioner of Central Information Commission, it does not mean the problem is solved. There is still a potential fraud. Even some parties indicating the duplication of the C1 form since in the polling station. Many people did monitoring the C1 form which inaccurate.
Rumadi said, it would be known by public because the election Commission published the C1 form. People need to help the election Commission to find the mistakes of C1 form which is done on purpose or due to inadvertence. “Election Commission should also act quickly to handle these issues in order not to be a big issue in the future,” he told to kebebasaninformasi.org on Thursday (July 17th).
Therefore, he continued, before entering the final recapitulation on July 22nd, the range of possible fraud, including C1 form duplication should be detectable from the beginning.
“All forms of data differences should be immediately clarified in order not to be a time bomb on July 22nd. The big problem will arise due to the small problem which not handled properly,” he concluded. (AA)
by Parliamentary Center | Jul 14, 2014 | News, National, Election
Jakarta,- As we know, since the completion of ballot yesterday (July 09th, 2014), a number of survey institution issuing the release of quick count results, most of that published through television broadcasters.
Most of survey institution has won the pair number 2 Jokowi-JK, and the others has won the pair number 1 Prabowo-Hatta. Each side also delivered a speech that can be interpreted as a claim victory. Supporters of each pair also had taken to the streets to celebrate the victory, where it can lead to horizontal conflict.
According to the Commissioner of Central Information Commission, Rumadi, it happens due to inaccurate information that spread in the public. “There is information that has been distorted deliberately to win one of the candidates that supported the survey institution,” he told to kebebasaninformasi.org, on Monday (July 14th).
According Rumadi, in order to avoid the distortion of information and the results of the 2014 election, the Central Information Commission asked several parties to deliver information correctly. To the President, (as the supreme authority of public institution) have an obligation to provide the public information to the public quickly, accurately and no misleading.
According to him, the President also need mobilize all efforts so that the public space is not littered with information that can actually trigger the tension.
Related to the vote counting process of the presidential election in 2014, Central Information Commission asked the Election Commission as the organizer to provide accurate information to the public to ensure the process of recapitulation which will expire on July 22nd, goes transparent and accountable.
“Every phases of the vote counting shall be controlled by public in order to cause public suspicion in the future,” he said.
While he said to the mass media as one of the pillars of democracy and common sense community guards, Central Information Commission asked that they should not be an agent who spread misleading information just to defend and won the candidate which supported by them.
“Central Information Commission supports the steps to audit survey institution so that in the future, it would no more the survey institution contaminate the public space with misleading information,” he concluded. (AA)
by muhammad mukhlisin | Jul 8, 2014 | National, Election
Persons with disabilities admitted that they not get enough the socialization related to the presidential election processes which will be held on July 9th, 2014. Extension related to system, the tools that will be used and the companion has not obtained.
“Socialization and the latest information on president election is so less. During this time, I got the information through audio media,” said Ismet Firmansyah one of the administrators of Blind Association at the Wiyata Guna Foundation, on Padjadjaran street Bandung, as reported by antaranews.com (Friday, July 4th, 2014).
He claimed haven’t get information from the officers in the field related to the electoral system for persons with disabilities, especially for people with visual impairments.
“I don’t know if the 2014 presidential election was accompanied by or given a braille template, I go to Wiyata Guna frequently but still haven’t received clear information,” said Ismet.
Ismet also expressed his concern to the media who have not provided information regarding the election procedures for persons with disabilities. For him, during this time the media has been a bridge of information for persons with disabilities.
According to Ismet, ideally, visually impaired voters can do their own voting at the polling station unaccompanied so that ensuring the freedom and confidentiality in giving the right to vote.
He claimed, he often uncomfortable giving their rights when accompanied by a companion who is provided at the polling station, he was also concerned if there is dependent escort.
“During this time, I chose accompanied by my wife, otherwise I would not be choose,” said Ismet.
Source: Antara
by Parliamentary Center | Jun 19, 2014 | News, National, Election
Jakarta, – Chairman of the Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIPP) Willi Sumarlin assess, in terms of openness, General Election Commission has been opened conveying information of vision-mission from two pairs of presidential candidates with displaying on the Commission website, kpu.go.id. Moreover, it added with candidate debates on television.
However, according to Willi, it is not enough to reach all people in Indonesia, because there are other segments that require face to face meetings from the candidates in order to see and or hear the vision-mission of the candidates, for example, in remote areas, indigenous communities and others.
While the socialization matter of polling stations (TPS) which probably different from the previous due to the merger of some polling stations, Willi said, actually the polling stations can be seen in the Permanent Voter Lists (DPT), and can be seen in the Polling Official (PPS) or villages
“Due to full activity, especially in Jakarta, I think people rarely check their name in DPT, but it can also check their name in the DPT on the Commission website,” he said in email that been sent on Wednesday (June 19th)
He assessed, the changing of polling stations number is still lack of socialization, because it will be delivered by the officer at the time when they give a letter of invitation. It could be that voters who do not know the polling stations changes will come to the previous location, then at the time, they will know the new polling locations.
“Of course it will make longer, I think it needs to be socialized as soon as possible, so that voters will know the location of polling stations.”
He suggested the active participation from people to check their name in DPT, whether they are already registered in the polling station and which TPS would they use to vote. (AA)
