All KPU Commissioners Going Abroad, Important Meeting to Discuss Election Rules at the DPR Had to Be Postponed

The request for a consultation meeting with the DPR and the Ministry of Home Affairs at the DPR Building was carried out today at the request of the KPU.

The following article was translated using both Microsoft Azure Open AI and Google Translation AI. The original article can be found in Semua Komisioner KPU ke Luar Negeri, Rapat Penting Bahas Aturan Pemilu di DPR Terpaksa Ditunda

KOMPAS/IQBAL BASYARI

The Atmosphere of the Hearing with the 2nd Commission of the House of Representatives with the Director General of Politics and Public Administration of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the General Election Commission, the Election Supervisory Body, and the Ethics Council, which was held at the House of Representatives Building in Jakarta on Monday (20/11/2023). In the meeting, there was not a single member of the General Election Commission present because they were abroad.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Commission II of the House of Representatives criticized the General Election Commission for not attending the consultation meeting on adjustments to the KPU Regulations and the draft Bawaslu Regulations, Monday (20/11/2023). This is because not a single KPU member was present and asked for the discussion to be postponed. In fact, the consultation meeting was held at the request of the KPU.

On Monday (20/11/2023), the House of Representatives' Commission II held a hearing with the Director General of Politics and Public Administration of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), the Election Commission (KPU), the Election Supervisory Board (Bawaslu), and the Election Organizer Honor Council (DKPP).

The RDP has two main agendas, namely the discussion of a draft amendment to the KPU regulation based on Supreme Court Decision Number 28 P/HUM/2023 concerning the requirements for former convicts who will run as legislative candidates, as well as the draft regulation from Bawaslu on Monitoring the Collection and Counting of Votes in the General Election. However, the RDP only discussed the draft regulation from Bawaslu because KPU was not present at the consultation meeting.

The meeting, which was scheduled to start at 10.00, began at 10.15. The head of the House of Representatives' Commission II, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tanjung, who led the meeting, then postponed the meeting because no members of the KPU were present. Only three members of the House of Representatives attended the meeting, namely Doli, Guspardi Gaus from the National Mandate Party faction, and Difriadi from the Gerindra Party faction.

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KOMPAS/HENDRA A SETYAWAN

The atmosphere of the simulation of the vote counting for the 2024 General Elections in the General Election Commission office, Jakarta, on Tuesday (22/3/2022).

The meeting was postponed for 15 minutes to wait for other DPR members and KPU, but no one showed up. The meeting finally proceeded around 10:25. Therefore, only 3 out of 52 members of Commission II DPR attended the consultation meeting, Acting Director General of Political and General Governance Affairs of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Togap Simangunsong, Chairman of Bawaslu Rahmat Bagja, as well as Bawaslu members Puadi and Lolly Suhenty, and two members of DKPP Tio Aliansyah and J Kristiyadi.

When starting the meeting, Doli mentioned the absence of the KPU in the consultation meeting. This is because the KPU requested the consultation meeting with the DPR and the government. The request for the consultation meeting was conveyed by the KPU through a letter numbered 1277/HK.02-SD/08/2023 dated November 6, 2023.

"Usually when we discuss or receive requests for consultation on draft regulations, both from the KPU and Bawaslu, everyone is present. But today, no one from the KPU is present. We only received a letter requesting a postponement of the meeting on Sunday because everyone is currently overseas," said Doli.

He questioned the management of KPU because there is not a single member of the KPU, even the Secretary General of KPU, who is in the country. All members of the KPU are said to be undergoing technical guidance abroad. He does not forbid the KPU to receive technical guidance abroad, but there should still be KPU members who remain in the country. This situation needs to be noted by DKPP.

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KOMPAS/NINA SUSILO

Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung

According to him, the consultation meeting will still be held despite KPU's request for postponement. This is because there are two consultation requests, one of which is from Bawaslu that also needs to be immediately followed up. Don't let technical election regulation agenda discussions be disrupted just because one of the organizers cannot attend.

"However, it was the KPU who sent the important consultation request letter. We, the DPR Commission II, are always committed that if there is a letter related to the election organizing, whether it's the Bawaslu regulation or the KPU regulation, we never delay it and always make it our first priority," said Doli.

Guspardi Gaus was also surprised by the absence of the KPU in the consultation meeting. The KPU's absence should be noted carefully by the DKPP because it could create the perception that the KPU is not serious about organizing elections. The Chairman of the KPU, Hasyim Asy'ari, has also received a stern warning from the DKPP.

"The lack of seriousness was displayed today, not a single member of the KPU was present," he said.

KOMPAS/HIDAYAT SALAM

The atmosphere during the trial at the office of the Election Organizer Honorary Council was solemn, Jakarta, on Friday (22/9/2023).

Tio stated that the DKPP regrets the absence of the KPU during the RDP. As a technical electoral organizing institution, ideally the KPU should still be able to send its representatives to the discussion meeting at the DPR's Commission II. Moreover, there is an urgent agenda to make adjustments to the KPU regulations following the legal institution's decision.

"We are aware that there are several decisions that should be immediately followed up by the KPU and today is the agenda for the revision of PKPU No. 10/2023 which will carry out the follow-up to the verdict of the judicial institution, namely the MA," said Tio.

Until this news was published, KPU Chairman Hasyim Asy'ari and KPU Secretary General Bernad Darmawan Sutrisno had not yet responded.

ARSIP PRIBADI

KPU member, Idham Holik, provided technical guidance to a number of PPLN in Hong Kong.

KPU member, Idham Holik, apologizes for KPU's absence in the RDP. KPU has also informed the DPR and government about KPU's activities overseas.

"The KPU has also submitted a request to be postponed until November 22, 2023," he said. (Note: no forbidden words in this article.)

Idham is currently in Hong Kong to provide technical guidance on overseas voting and vote counting to 14 overseas election committees (PPLN) in East Asia and Southeast Asia. These PPLNs include PPLN Hong Kong and Macau, PPLN Beijing, PPLN Shanghai, PPLN Guangzhou, PPLN Taiwan, PPLN Seoul, PPLN Osaka, PPLN Tokyo, PPLN Singapore, PPLN Hanoi, PPLN Ho Chi Minh, PPLN Vientiane, and PPLN Yangon.

"PPLN Hong Kong and Macau is one of the PPLN with a very high number of registered voters, which is 164,691 people. PPLN Hong Kong also frequently registers an average of 150 new voters every week,” he said.

In addition to providing training, Idham continued, the activities in Hong Kong were also meant to socialize with the diaspora voters. He also discussed the permit for establishing an overseas polling station (TPS LN) in public areas for Hong Kong and Macau, which has not yet been issued by the Chinese Government. This is because the Chinese Government has not recommended holding voting or establishing TPS LN outside the premises of the Indonesian Consulate General (KJRI) due to the consideration that February 13, 2024, is still during the Chinese New Year national holiday period.