Many PSU Pilkada, DPR Will Tighten Selection of KPU-Bawaslu Members in the Regions

JAKARTA, KOMPAS - Commission II of the House of Representatives (DPR) has highlighted the significant number of repeat voting, or PSU, in the 2024 Regional Head Elections. This is suspected to be due to the lack of thoroughness on the part of local election organizers. To prevent similar incidents from recurring, the DPR plans to tighten the selection process for members of the General Elections Commission and the Election Supervisory Body at the regional level in the upcoming revisions to the Election or Regional Election Law.

Referring to the Constitutional Court (MK) ruling on the 2024 Regional Head Election (Pilkada) dispute, 24 regions have been ordered to conduct a re-vote (PSU). In addition, there is one region, namely Puncak Jaya Regency, that must carry out a recount of the voting results in 22 out of 26 districts.

The majority of Constitutional Court rulings disqualifying several regional head candidates were due to the unprofessional and even negligent work of the General Elections Commission (KPU) at the district/city level, both administratively and legally, in examining fundamental electoral issues, such as the administrative requirements of regional head candidates.

This was reinforced by the decision of the Election Organizer Ethics Council (DKPP) to dismiss four members of the Banjarbaru City General Elections Commission (KPU). The four KPU commissioners were deemed to have committed violations by continuing to use ballots featuring two pairs of regional head and deputy head candidates, even though one of the candidate pairs had been disqualified. Previously, the Constitutional Court's decision also ordered a re-vote (PSU) to be held in Banjarbaru.

A member of Commission II of the House of Representatives from the Golkar Party faction, Ahmad Doli Kurnia Tandjung, when contacted in Jakarta on Monday (3/3/2025), stated that a series of events increasingly highlights the need for a revision of the Election Law and a comprehensive revision of the Regional Election Law.

According to Doli, there are two things that need to be considered going forward. First, the legal substance regarding elections and regional elections must be made more detailed and not open to multiple interpretations.

"Thus, we see incidents like yesterday where it seems that they (election organizers) always say this and that are not regulated, and then they interpret it. It has been proven that in the end, their interpretation was legally incorrect according to the Constitutional Court. So, I think it indeed needs to be regulated more specifically, more in detail, to avoid multiple interpretations. This also reduces the possibility of lawsuits reaching the Constitutional Court," he stated.

Second, if seen from the side of the election organizers, the problem can be two, between capacity or integrity. Therefore, to prevent the incompetent election commissioners from passing, the selection process must also be tightened. This applies to all election organizers, both the KPU and the Election Supervisory Body (Bawaslu).

"In the future, it is necessary to clarify the rules on who we should actually trust as election organizers. To fulfill that, so that we really have quality election organizers, both in terms of capacity, integrity, technical ability, including leadership," Doli emphasized.

This leadership ability, according to Doli, is very important because he received information that quite a few KPU ranks in the regions felt that they issued certain decisions based on "recommendations from above". He is also trying to find out what is meant by "recommendations from above", whether the recommendations are also from election organizing institutions such as the provincial KPU, the Indonesian KPU, or others.

"Well, this is about leadership. If the regional KPU has strong leadership and high integrity, it will not be affected. What is held are the rules. Well, I think this also needs to be checked later. It becomes one of the indicators for those who want to serve as election organizers later," said Doli.

On the other hand, the relationship between election organizers must also be strengthened. The Election Law states that the KPU, Bawaslu, and DKPP are one entity as an election organizer institution. However, in reality, they are like competitors.

"So this must be understood. That the election organizers in the law are one entity," said Doli.

Chairman of Commission II of the DPR from the Nasdem Party Faction, Rifqinizamy Karsayuda agreed that the selection of KPU ranks in the regions should be stricter. Commission II of the DPR does not want the negligence and mistakes of the KPU in the regions to result in a repeat of the PSU. He even asked for an evaluation of KPU membership in the regions that were clearly unprofessional.

According to him, in the revision of the Election Law, it is also necessary to regulate that supervision of the KPU is further strengthened, as well as supervision of Bawaslu. "Commission II does not want negligence and mistakes that result in PSU to be repeated," he said.

Deputy Chairman of Commission II of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party Faction, Dede Yusuf, also wants a serious evaluation of the regional KPU so that similar problems do not happen again. Because, if this negligence is allowed to continue, the people's money in the APBD could be wasted to hold the PSU.

"And the irony is that this PSU is due to the carelessness of regional organizers. This is, right, chaotic," he said.