Political Parties’ Integrity

KOMPAS/ALIF ICHWAN (AIC) 31-07-2018

General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Ilham Saputra (right) watches a KPU staffer on Tuesday (31/7) as she checks the registration documents of House of Representatives candidates at KPU headquarters in Jakarta. The KPU stayed open until midnight to receive revised registration documents for candidates of the 2019 general elections.

It is ironic to see that political parties keep nominating individuals formerly imprisoned for corruption as candidates to the legislature, when corruption is a national disease.

Meanwhile, several political party elites have opposed the General Elections Commission’s (KPU) ban on former corruption convicts from running as legislative candidates, arguing that no law exists that prohibits former corruption convicts from being nominated. They also say that no court has ruled to remove the right to engage in political activity for former corruption convicts. Another argument says that prohibiting former corruption convicts from running for the legislature is a violation of human rights.