The General Elections Commission (KPU) issued a regulation on Saturday that, among other things, bans former graft convicts from running in next year’s legislative elections, despite opposition from the House of Representatives and the Law and Human Rights Ministry.
The regulation, which pertains to the nominations of House and Regional Council member candidates, was published on KPU’s website on Saturday night together with a short note that said the regulations would be used as “guidelines for KPU in carrying out the nomination stages […] in the 2019 legislative elections”.
Article 7 clause 1(g) of the regulation states that prospective legislative nominees “must not be a former drug dealing, child sexual assault, or corruption convict.” KPU Commissioner Pramono Ubaid confirmed that the regulations were now officially in effect.
“As written on the last page, the regulation comes into force once it is issued,” he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday. KPU head Arief Budiman officially issued the regulation on Saturday. KPU submitted the regulation to the Law and Human Rights Ministry to be signed into law last month, but Minister Yasonna Laoly refused to sign it.
Yasonna and House lawmakers have argued that the clause banning graft convicts ran contrary to the 2017 General Elections Law, particularly Article 240, which states that former convicts could still run as long as they “openly and honestly” announced their status to the public. KPU and civil society activists, on the other hand, argue that the clause is necessary to protect voters’ rights.
