Civil Society Condemns the Ethics Case of the KPU Chairman and Urges DKPP to Give a Firm Decision

The recent case of alleged immoral acts involving the Chairman of the General Election Commission (KPU), Hasyim Asy’ari, has received criticism from civil society. The Indonesian Women’s Coalition (KPI) believes that ethical cases involving gender-based violence against election organizers should receive a firm decision from the General Election Organizer Honorary Council (DKPP) in the form of permanent dismissal. According to KPI, this is necessary to ensure the protection of women in politics.

“I hope that DKPP will really grant the lawsuit. “Election management officials who have committed ethical violations this serious should have been immediately dismissed,” said KPI Secretary General Mike Verawati Tangka in the Kalyanamitra online discussion entitled “Creating a Gender-Just Election Organizing Ecosystem Without Sexual Violence” (19/4).

KPI views this as happening because there is no filter in the selection process for KPU officials. The background of prospective election organizers regarding morals and ethics should have been carried out since the formation of the selection team. Moreover, rules related to gender-based violence are not yet strongly implemented in regulations.

“When we talk about election management officials, it is not only related to their technical work or abilities, but ethically and morally, we can confirm that as well,” he added.

Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM) Anis Hidayah explained that the Sexual Violence Crime Law (TPKS Law) actually requires the internalization of policies within institutions to ensure that there are no criminal acts of sexual violence. However, many institutions have not implemented this, even though, according to Anis, policies to internalize the principles of sexual violence need to be in place in every institution that has power relations.

“This means that all institutions, especially government administrators, must have policies that prevent sexual violence from occurring, handle, protect, and restore victims in a gender-just legal context in accordance with Supreme Court Regulation (Perma) Number 3 of 2017,” explained Anis.

Furthermore, Article 15 of the TPKS Law regulates the increased punishment for perpetrators of sexual violence if they involve power relations. Perpetrators who commit sexual violence more than once against more than one victim will have their punishment increased by more than a third of the stipulated sentence, accompanied by removal from office. According to Anis, law enforcement should have a deterrent effect because the TPKS Law encourages an environment without sexual violence and ensures that it does not happen again.

“Once again, there must be no impunity for perpetrators of criminal acts of sexual violence, especially since this case has occurred more than once,” he stressed. []